association

1 the state of having shared interests or efforts (as in social or business matters) the public television station is producing the series in association with a foundation for the arts Synonyms affiliation, alliance, collaboration, confederation, connection, cooperation, hookup, liaison, linkup, partnership, relation, relationship, tie-up, union Related Words business, dealings, interaction; exchange, interconnection, interrelation, mutualism, reciprocity, symbiosis; incorporation, integration, merger, unification; affinity, attachment, closeness, intimacy, rapport, sympathy; kinship, oneness, solidarity, togetherness, unity; colleagueship, companionship, company, fellowship; bed, cahoots, league Near Antonyms breakup, dissolution, disunion; division, parting, separation, severance, split; alienation, divorce, estrangement Antonyms disaffiliation, dissociation

2 a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest all associations meeting on town property must be registered with and approved by the registrar's office Synonyms board, brotherhood, chamber, club, college, congress, consortium, council, fellowship, fraternity, guild (also gild), institute, institution, league, order, organization, society, sodality Related Words collective, commune, community, cooperative; alliance, bloc, camp, coalition, partnership; body, cadre, group; circle, clan, clique, coterie, junta, junto, klatch (also klatsch), lot, set; crew, outfit, party, squad, team; branch, chapter, local; faithful, fold, membership; sisterhood, sorority; cabal, camarilla, camorra, confederacy, conspiracy; band, gang, ring; cartel, combine, syndicate

3 the fact or state of having something in common what's the association between cat hair and my allergic reaction to certain proteins? Synonyms affinity, connection, bearing, kinship, liaison, linkage, relation, relationshipRelated Words correlation, interrelation; materiality, pertinence, relevance; bond, link, tie; affiliation, alliance, union; identicalness, sameness; alikeness, community, likeness, resemblance, similarity; accordance, agreement, conformity, congruity, correspondenceNear Antonyms variability, variance; incompatibility, incongruence, incongruity, incongruousness