free association
noun
1
a
: the expression (as by speaking or writing) of the content of consciousness without censorship as an aid in gaining access to unconscious processes especially in psychoanalysis
b
: the reporting of the first thought that comes to mind in response to a given stimulus (such as a word)
2
: an idea or image elicited by free association
3
: a method using free association
Examples of free association in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Written and directed by Kaufman and adapted from Ian Reid's novel by the same name, the film is a psychological thriller that traffics in the surreal, shifting fluidly between narrative and free association, all grounded in excellent performances by the film's actors.
—
Kevin Jacobsen and Sammi Burke, EW.com, 17 Nov. 2023
Niue is self-governing but depends heavily on New Zealand, and the two are in a political relationship known as free association.
—Jacob Judah, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Taiwan’s other Pacific allies — Palau and the Marshall Islands — have security agreements, called compacts of free association with the United States, that make a switch less likely.
—Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2024
And in 2019, a federal judge rejected a lawsuit brought by two arms of the International Union of Operating Engineers that argued the law violates free speech and free association under the First Amendment.
—Scott Bauer, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2023
His unconventional forms and spaces are always fodder for free association and double meanings.
—Ted Loos, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023
While independence was excluded as an option in the 2020 status plebiscite (and pro-independence voters boycotted the 2017 vote), 2021 polling put support for independence or free association—the sovereign status of islands like Micronesia and Palau—north of 20 percent.
—Alberto C. Medina, The New Republic, 24 July 2023
Literature stands as the emblem of reason, as the superego defending against the subversive power of the nightmarish free associations that gave us conspiracies like Pizzagate—perhaps the most extraordinary public instance of the logic of dreams in modern history.
—Michael W. Clune, Harper's Magazine, 4 Mar. 2022
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, ruled that this violated the First Amendment’s right to free association.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 8 May 2023
Kevin Jacobsen and Sammi Burke, EW.com, 17 Nov. 2023
Niue is self-governing but depends heavily on New Zealand, and the two are in a political relationship known as free association.
—Jacob Judah, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Taiwan’s other Pacific allies — Palau and the Marshall Islands — have security agreements, called compacts of free association with the United States, that make a switch less likely.
—Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2024
And in 2019, a federal judge rejected a lawsuit brought by two arms of the International Union of Operating Engineers that argued the law violates free speech and free association under the First Amendment.
—Scott Bauer, Fortune, 1 Dec. 2023
His unconventional forms and spaces are always fodder for free association and double meanings.
—Ted Loos, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023
While independence was excluded as an option in the 2020 status plebiscite (and pro-independence voters boycotted the 2017 vote), 2021 polling put support for independence or free association—the sovereign status of islands like Micronesia and Palau—north of 20 percent.
—Alberto C. Medina, The New Republic, 24 July 2023
Literature stands as the emblem of reason, as the superego defending against the subversive power of the nightmarish free associations that gave us conspiracies like Pizzagate—perhaps the most extraordinary public instance of the logic of dreams in modern history.
—Michael W. Clune, Harper's Magazine, 4 Mar. 2022
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the court, ruled that this violated the First Amendment’s right to free association.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 8 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'free association.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near free association
Cite this Entry
“Free association.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20association. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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