/ əˌsəʊʃiˈeɪʃn; -siˈeɪ-; NAmE əˌsoʊ-/ noun
1.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] ( abbr. Assoc. ) an official group of people who have joined together for a particular purpose
SYN organization :
Do you belong to any professional or trade associations?
the Football Association
a residents' association
—see also housing association
2.
[ C , U ] association (with sb/sth) a connection or relationship between people or organizations :
his alleged association with terrorist groups
They have maintained a close association with a college in the US.
The book was published in association with (= together with) British Heritage.
She became famous through her association with the group of poets.
3.
[ C , usually pl. ] an idea or a memory that is suggested by sb/sth; a mental connection between ideas :
The seaside had all sorts of pleasant associations with childhood holidays for me.
The cat soon made the association between human beings and food.
4.
[ C ] a connection between things where one is caused by the other :
a proven association between passive smoking and cancer
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (in the sense uniting in a common purpose ): from medieval Latin associatio(n-) , from Latin associare to unite, ally, from ad- to + socius sharing, allied.