association
gb/əsˌoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/ us/əsˌoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/
B1
English
~ 800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
An organized group of people
A group of people who work together for the same goal or interest.
Usage pattern:
[someone] joins [an association]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'association' with 'company'; however, an association is usually non-profit and focused on shared interests rather than commercial profit.
Synonyms
organization (More general; can refer to any structured group, not necessarily with members sharing a specific interest.)
|
society (Often used for cultural, academic, or charitable associations.)
Antonyms
individual (Refers to a single person acting alone, the opposite of a group.)
Collocations
professional association
|trade association
|members of the association
|join the association
Themes
organizations
|business
|community
|relationships
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She joined a local writers' association to meet other authors.
- The association held its annual conference in New York.
- Membership in the association provides many networking opportunities.
- The teachers' association is negotiating for better pay.
- He is the president of the neighborhood association.
Learner examples
- I am part of a sports association.
- The music association meets every month.
- She works for a student association.
- Our city has a cultural association.
Noun
B2
relation
2
A link between ideas or things
A thought or image that comes to mind when you think about something else.
Usage pattern:
[someone] makes an association between [something] and [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'association' (a mental link) with 'memory'; an association is not always a remembered event but can be an abstract connection.
Synonyms
connection (A general term for a link; can be physical or abstract.)
|
link (Often used interchangeably but may sound less formal in some contexts.)
Antonyms
disconnection (Refers to the absence of a link or relationship.)
Collocations
strong association
|immediate association
|direct association
|make an association
Themes
psychology
|thinking
|education
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- For many people, the smell of cinnamon has a strong association with Christmas.
- I have fond associations with my childhood home.
- Her name has an unfortunate association with scandal.
- The study found a clear association between exercise and improved mood.
Learner examples
- This song has a happy association for me.
- I have a strong association between summer and ice cream.
- The smell has an association with my grandmother's house.
Noun
technical
C1
relation
3
Statistical relationship between variables
When two or more things happen together in a way that can be measured, often in studies or research.
Usage pattern:
an association between [variable] and [variable]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'association' with 'cause'; in statistics, an association does not prove that one thing causes another.
Synonyms
correlation (Commonly used synonym in statistics; may imply different strengths and types of relationships.)
Antonyms
independence (In statistics, refers to no relationship between variables.)
Collocations
positive association
|negative association
|statistical association
|significant association
Themes
science
|statistics
|technology
Examples
- The researchers found an association between smoking and lung disease.
- There is a negative association between stress levels and sleep quality.
- No significant association was observed in the control group.
Learner examples
- The study shows an association between eating fruit and good health.
- There is an association between age and income in this data.
Grammar
Dictionary form
association
IPA
GB/əsˌoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/
US/əsˌoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
as - so - ci - ation (4 syllables)
Stress on 4th syllable (ation)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: association
- Plural: association, associations
Word family
Forms
associations
noun
Core family
associate
verb B1
Related words
associative
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
disassociate
verb
disassociation
noun
Advanced or less common
dissociate
verb
dissociation
noun
Expressions
by association
1/bˈaɪ əsˌoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Because of a connection to something else
Because you are connected to something or someone else in some way.
Examples
- He wasn't directly involved, but he was punished by association.
- Her reputation suffered by association with the corrupt official.
guilt by association
1/ɡˈɪlt bˈaɪ əsˌoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/
idiom
Unfair blame due to connection
When someone is blamed because they know or are connected to someone who did something wrong.
Examples
- He argued that he was a victim of guilt by association.
- The article warns against guilt by association in politics.
guilt by association
2/ɡˈɪlt bˈaɪ əsˌoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/
idiom
Blame due to someone's connections
When people think you did something wrong just because you know someone who did it.
Examples
- He was accused through guilt by association, even though he wasn't involved.
- Guilt by association is not fair in a court of law.