[as.so.ci.a.tion] n (1535) 1 a: the act of associating b: the state of being associated: combination, relationship
2: an organization of persons having a common interest: society
3: something linked in memory or imagination with a thing or person
4: the process of forming mental connections or bonds between sensations, ideas, or memories
5: the aggregation of chemical species to form (as with hydrogen bonds) loosely bound complexes
6: a major unit in ecological community organization characterized by essential uniformity and usu. by two or more dominant species -- as.so.ci.a.tion.al adj