Associates

/əˈsoʊʃieɪts/

nounBeginnerVery CommonGeneral

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A person who is connected with another; a colleague or partner.

/əˈsoʊʃieɪts/

nounneutralBeginner
General

A person connected with another, especially in a business context.

My associates and I celebrated our project's success.

💡 Simply: A coworker or friend.

More Examples

2

She's a valued associate in our team.

How It's Used

Business

"He's one of the senior associates at the law firm."

Academia

"The professor and his research associates published a groundbreaking study."

2

To connect (something) in your mind with something else; to join together.

/əˈsoʊʃieɪt/

verbneutralBeginner
General

To connect or bring together.

Many people associate summer with vacations.

💡 Simply: To link things in your mind.

More Examples

2

I don't want to be associated with that group.

How It's Used

General

"I associate the smell of rain with childhood memories."

Psychology

"The experiment aimed to associate a specific sound with a reward."

Tip:Think of 'associating' ideas together.

Idioms & expressions

associate with

To spend time with someone regularly.

"I don't like to associate with people who gossip."

From Middle English *associaten, from Old French associer, from Latin associāre "to join together," from socius "companion, ally."

The word 'associate' has been used in similar contexts for centuries, often highlighting connections between people and ideas.

Memory tip

Think of 'associate' as someone you 'associate' with in your work.

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Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written