associate

1 a person frequently seen in the company of another a number of his associates were members of organized crime, so he was a person of interest to the FBI Synonyms cohort, companion, compatriot, compeer, comrade, crony, fellow, hobnobber, mate, running mate Related Words colleague, coworker, equal, peer, workmate; accomplice, affiliate, ally, collaborator, confederate, half, partner; buddy, chum, confidant, familiar, friend, hearty, intimate, pal; countryman; classmate, housemate, messmate, playfellow, playmate, roommate, schoolmate, shipmate, teammate; attendant, escort; hanger-on, leech, parasite

2 a fellow worker my associates at the office Synonyms colleague, confrere (also confrère), coworkerRelated Words equal, fellow, peer; accomplice, ally, cohort, collaborator, confederate, copartner, half, partner; buddy, chum, companion, comrade, crony, pal; compatriot, countryman

1 to come or be together as friends a socially ambitious couple who joined the country club in order to associate with the right sort of people Synonyms chum, company, consociate, consort, fraternize, hang (around or out), hobnob, hook up, mess around, pal (around), run, sort, travel Related Words affiliate, ally, attach, band, bond, club, collaborate, collude, confederate, conjoin, connect, cooperate, couple, gang, get along, get on, group, interrelate, join, knot, league, link, mingle, mix, rally, relate, side, socialize, team, tie, wed; befriend, friend Phrases be friends with, fall in with, keep company (with), rub elbows (with) or rub shoulders (with), take up with Near Antonyms avoid, cold-shoulder, shun, snub; alienate, estrange; break up, disband, disperse, split (up); disjoin, dissociate, disunite, divorce, sever, split, sunder

2 to think of (something) in combination she still associates Memorial Day with her long-ago fiancé, who died in Vietnam Synonyms connect, correlate, identify, link, relate Related Words compare, equate, liken; group, join, lump (together), tie (together) Near Antonyms contrast, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, separate, set off

3 to come together to form a single unit the elements hydrogen and oxygen associate to form molecules of water Synonyms unite, coalesce, combine, conjoin, conjugate, connect, couple, fuse, interfuse, join, link (up), marry, unifyRelated Words mate, yoke; ally, confederate, league; chain, compound, hitch, hook, splice; assemble, cluster, congregate, constellate, convene, gather, meet; recombine, reconnect, rejoin, reunify, reuniteNear Antonyms detach, disaffiliate, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, fractionate, isolate, resolve, uncouple, unyoke; disband, disperse, scatterAntonyms break up, dissever, part, section, separate, sever, split, sunder, unlink

4 to form or enter into an association that furthers the interests of its members nations deciding to associate in order to remove trade barriers Synonyms ally, band (together), club, coalesce, cohere, confederate, conjoin, cooperate, federate, league, uniteRelated Words cabal, collaborate, gang up, hang together, team (up); incorporate, organize, unionize; affiliate; amalgamate, combine, conglomerate, consolidate, converge, group, join, merge; knot, link, tie, wedNear Antonyms detach, disengage, dissolve, disunite, divorce, part, segregate, separate, sever, split, sunder; alienate, estrange, fall outAntonyms break up, disband

5 to take part in social activities you should try to associate with people your own age Synonyms socialize, fraternize, go out, hobnob, mingle, mix, step outRelated Words carouse, party, revel; circulateNear Antonyms avoid, eschew, shun; slight, snub