associate 1 of 5

verb (1)

ə-ˈsō-shē-ˌāt How to pronounce associate (audio)
Definition of associatenext
1
as in to travel
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 & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to identify
to think of (something) in combination she still associates Memorial Day with her long-ago fiancé, who died in Vietnam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to combine
to come together to form a single unit the elements hydrogen and oxygen associate to form molecules of water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to cooperate
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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to mix
to take part in social activities you should try to associate with people your own age

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

associate

2 of 5

noun (1)

ə-ˈsō-shē-ət How to pronounce associate (audio)
1
as in colleague
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 & Similar Words
2
as in partner
a fellow worker my associates at the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

associate

3 of 5

adjective

as in auxiliary

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

associates

4 of 5

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of associate
1
as in travels
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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in identifies
to think of (something) in combination she still associates Memorial Day with her long-ago fiancé, who died in Vietnam

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in combines
to come together to form a single unit the elements hydrogen and oxygen associate to form molecules of water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in cooperates
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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in mixes
to take part in social activities you should try to associate with people your own age

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

associates

5 of 5

noun (2)

plural of associate
1
as in colleagues
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 & Similar Words
2
as in coworkers
a fellow worker my associates at the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb associate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of associate are combine, connect, join, link, relate, and unite. While all these words mean "to bring or come together into some manner of union," associate stresses the mere fact of frequent occurrence or existence together in space or in logical relation.

opera is popularly associated with high society

When would combine be a good substitute for associate?

The words combine and associate can be used in similar contexts, but combine implies some merging or mingling with corresponding loss of identity of each unit.

combined jazz and rock to create a new music

When is connect a more appropriate choice than associate?

While the synonyms connect and associate are close in meaning, connect suggests a loose or external attachment with little or no loss of identity.

a mutual defense treaty connected the two nations

Where would join be a reasonable alternative to associate?

In some situations, the words join and associate are roughly equivalent. However, join implies a bringing into contact or conjunction of any degree of closeness.

joined forces in an effort to win

When might link be a better fit than associate?

Although the words link and associate have much in common, link may imply strong connection or inseparability of elements still retaining identity.

a name forever linked with liberty

When can relate be used instead of associate?

The meanings of relate and associate largely overlap; however, relate suggests the existence of a real or presumed logical connection.

related what he observed to what he already knew

In what contexts can unite take the place of associate?

While in some cases nearly identical to associate, unite implies somewhat greater loss of separate identity.

the colonies united to form a republic

How does the verb associate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of associate are combine, connect, join, link, relate, and unite. While all these words mean "to bring or come together into some manner of union," associate stresses the mere fact of frequent occurrence or existence together in space or in logical relation.

opera is popularly associated with high society

When would combine be a good substitute for associate?

The words combine and associate can be used in similar contexts, but combine implies some merging or mingling with corresponding loss of identity of each unit.

combined jazz and rock to create a new music

When is connect a more appropriate choice than associate?

While the synonyms connect and associate are close in meaning, connect suggests a loose or external attachment with little or no loss of identity.

a mutual defense treaty connected the two nations

Where would join be a reasonable alternative to associate?

In some situations, the words join and associate are roughly equivalent. However, join implies a bringing into contact or conjunction of any degree of closeness.

joined forces in an effort to win

When might link be a better fit than associate?

Although the words link and associate have much in common, link may imply strong connection or inseparability of elements still retaining identity.

a name forever linked with liberty

When can relate be used instead of associate?

The meanings of relate and associate largely overlap; however, relate suggests the existence of a real or presumed logical connection.

related what he observed to what he already knew

In what contexts can unite take the place of associate?

While in some cases nearly identical to associate, unite implies somewhat greater loss of separate identity.

the colonies united to form a republic

How does the verb associate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of associate are combine, connect, join, link, relate, and unite. While all these words mean "to bring or come together into some manner of union," associate stresses the mere fact of frequent occurrence or existence together in space or in logical relation.

opera is popularly associated with high society

When would combine be a good substitute for associate?

The words combine and associate can be used in similar contexts, but combine implies some merging or mingling with corresponding loss of identity of each unit.

combined jazz and rock to create a new music

When is connect a more appropriate choice than associate?

While the synonyms connect and associate are close in meaning, connect suggests a loose or external attachment with little or no loss of identity.

a mutual defense treaty connected the two nations

Where would join be a reasonable alternative to associate?

In some situations, the words join and associate are roughly equivalent. However, join implies a bringing into contact or conjunction of any degree of closeness.

joined forces in an effort to win

When might link be a better fit than associate?

Although the words link and associate have much in common, link may imply strong connection or inseparability of elements still retaining identity.

a name forever linked with liberty

When can relate be used instead of associate?

The meanings of relate and associate largely overlap; however, relate suggests the existence of a real or presumed logical connection.

related what he observed to what he already knew

In what contexts can unite take the place of associate?

While in some cases nearly identical to associate, unite implies somewhat greater loss of separate identity.

the colonies united to form a republic

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of associate
Verb
The conventional gearbox also avoids the droning often associated with continuously variable transmissions (CVTs). —New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026 Mary Janes are typically associated with sweetness, but the pair above, frankly, didn’t get the memo. —Alex Sales, Glamour, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
Marcos Charles, an ICE associate director, claimed that Jahn had actually used those apps, and blamed their creators and distributors for putting agents in danger. —Oriana Van Praag, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2026 Doe claimed that in 2013, Epstein associates instructed her to open a Bank of America account to mislead immigration authorities — placing her on the payroll of a shell company with payments routed from an account belonging to Epstein. —Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Vaquero, an associate director for the Office of Emergency Management, realized the use of a prefire wireless emergency alert would have been relatively novel. —Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026 McDonald — who prior to confirmation served as an associate deputy attorney general in the office of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — said his goal as a career federal prosecutor is to uncover and follow the facts and apply them to the law. —Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Hunger can be another motivator, especially if your feline associates certain times or behaviors with food. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025 Create Low-Stakes Opportunities for Visibility Gen Z often associates visibility with exposure to criticism. —Ruth Oh Reitmeier, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
Fourteen associates had fled the country, officials said. —Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026 An estimated 500 babies born in captivity were illegally taken and adopted by military families or associates. —ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for associate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for associate
  1. auxiliary
  2. subsidiary
  3. secondary
Adjective
  • Because of the recurring violence, as well as evidence of the sale of alcohol to underage undercover auxiliary police officers, the rink was placed on probation in February 2005 under the city’s Nuisance Abatement law, but reopened shortly after under a curfew.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 19 Mar. 2026
  • However, Doel did have to install a separate DC-DC converter to power auxiliary functions like the headlights and windshield wipers.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of auxiliary
Adjective
  • Kapoor, who formerly lived in a waterfront estate in the Cocoplum neighborhood of Coral Gables, made his first appearance in Miami federal court on Friday afternoon to face charges stemming from his role as the chief executive officer of Location Ventures and its subsidiary URBIN.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Long-term commitment Abel has been known internally as a hands-on operator with a deep bench of subsidiary CEOs reporting to him.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026
Definition of subsidiary
Adjective
  • The framework then proposes evaluating AI systems across all 10 faculties and comparing their performance to a representative sample of human adults with at least the equivalent of a secondary education.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
  • The Rams sent the 29th overall pick plus fifth- and sixth-round picks in the 2026 draft and a 2027 third-round pick to KC in exchange for the Pro Bowl CB, leaving a big hole open in the middle of the team’s secondary.
    — Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of secondary

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Associate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/associate. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on associate

Nglish: Translation of associate for Spanish Speakers

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