Definition of association
1a
: the act of associating
b
: the state of being associated : combination, relationship
had a long association with the firm
2
: an organization of persons having a common interest : society
an alumni association
3
: something linked in memory or imagination with a thing or person
His former school has only negative associations for him.
4
: the process of forming mental connections or bonds between sensations, ideas, or memories
5
: the aggregation of chemical species (see species entry 1 sense 1e) to form (as with hydrogen bonds) loosely bound complexes (see complex entry 1 sense 3)
6
: a major unit in ecological community organization characterized by essential uniformity and usually by two or more dominant species
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for association
The first known use of association was in 1535
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