association

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/əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən/
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An organized group, a social or historical link, a mental connection, and in technical use a measured or modeled relationship between things.
Practice using association in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • Her long association with the university shaped her career.
  • Several trade associations objected to the new regulation.
  • The brand tried to avoid any association with the scandal.
  • She joined a professional association for music teachers.
  • The town has historic associations with shipbuilding.

Similar words

connection
mapping
connotation
partnership
society
cue
affiliation
involvement
connection
correlation

Meanings

Organized group with a shared purpose

noun
organizations
neutral
A formal or semi-formal group of people or organizations joined around a shared interest, profession, activity, or cause.

Usage

Use association for a named body such as a professional group, residents group, trade body, or sports organization.

Examples

  • The neighborhood association organizes a cleanup every spring.
  • Several trade associations objected to the new regulation.
  • She joined a professional association for music teachers.
  • The association elected a new chair at the annual meeting.
  • Local associations raised money for the library.

Common mistakes

The collective noun is often matched with the wrong verb, and the regular plural is sometimes misspelled.
IncorrectCorrect
The association are meeting tomorrow. The association is meeting tomorrow.
We joined two professional association. We joined two professional associations.
She created an association for protect the park. She created an association to protect the park.
The club is an association rule. The club is an association.

Similar words

organization
society
club
union
alliance
coalition
guild
federation

Connection or involvement

noun
relationships
neutral
A relationship, partnership, or history of involvement that links people, groups, places, or things.

Usage

Use association for a link created by contact, collaboration, reputation, or shared history, especially in phrases like in association with and guilt by association.

Examples

  • The film was produced in association with a local arts charity.
  • Her long association with the university shaped her career.
  • The brand tried to avoid any association with the scandal.
  • The town has historic associations with shipbuilding.
  • He was judged unfairly by association with the group.

Common mistakes

The preposition often changes with the pattern, and association is sometimes used where associate is needed.
IncorrectCorrect
The museum worked in association of the university. The museum worked in association with the university.
His association to the campaign lasted ten years. His association with the campaign lasted ten years.
They association with several charities. They associate with several charities.
The city has an association on mining. The city has an association with mining.

Similar words

connection
relationship
affiliation
link
partnership
involvement
tie
bond

Measured or modeled relationship

noun
research
technical
A relationship between variables, data items, or modeled entities that is observed, calculated, or represented without necessarily proving cause.

Usage

Use association in research, statistics, data mining, and modeling for a link that can be measured or represented, while keeping it distinct from proven causation.

Examples

  • Researchers found a strong association between exercise and lower blood pressure.
  • The report notes that association does not prove causation.
  • A UML association can show how two classes are structurally linked.
  • The algorithm searched for associations in customer purchase data.
  • The study measured the association between income and education level.

Common mistakes

The word is often overstated as proof of cause, and technical collocations are sometimes mixed with ordinary wording.
IncorrectCorrect
The study found an association, so stress caused the illness. The study found an association, but it did not prove that stress caused the illness.
There is an association of the two variables. There is an association between the two variables.
The UML class has an association to Customer and Order. The UML diagram shows an association between Customer and Order.
The association rule proves why customers buy milk. The association rule shows that customers often buy milk with another item.

Similar words

relationship
correlation
link
dependence
connection
pattern
relation
mapping

Usage

Use association for bodies that people join, links created by involvement or reputation, ideas that call up other ideas, and technical relationships that are linked without necessarily being causes.

Common mistakes

Association is confused with associate, paired with the wrong preposition, or treated as proof of cause when it only names a measured link.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin associatio, from Latin associare, meaning to join or unite with, built from ad- meaning to and socius meaning companion or ally. English has used it since the sixteenth century for joining together, then for groups and mental links.

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