association

noun

ə-ˌsō-sē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce association (audio)
Definition of associationnext
1
as in partnership
the state of having shared interests or efforts (as in social or business matters) the public television station is producing the series in association with a foundation for the arts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in organization
a group of persons formally joined together for some common interest all associations meeting on town property must be registered with and approved by the registrar's office

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in relationship
the fact or state of having something in common what's the association between cat hair and my allergic reaction to certain proteins?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of association However, if future disappointment is to be avoided, something will need to change not just at the national level but also within Asian soccer’s governing association. — Simon Chadwick, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 The average American consumes about 20 pounds — almost 4 gallons — of ice cream each year, the association also reported. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026 Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the California Grocers Association, said some grocers have had to overhaul their labeling systems, but as a whole, the association has been supportive of the change. — Olga R. Rodriguez, Fortune, 2 July 2026 The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), a neutral, government entity, has been used by leagues and players’ associations in past labor disputes. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for association
Recent Examples of Synonyms for association
  1. partnership
  2. organization
  3. relationship
  4. collaboration
  5. institution
  6. kinship
  7. affiliation
  8. institute
Noun
  • The orbital laboratory is operated through a global partnership of space agencies, including NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • The partnership highlights the growing potential of Poltrona Frau’s Custom Interiors unit and its leadership in developing furniture that integrates into high-profile cultural and architectural projects.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
Definition of partnership
Noun
  • The organization warned that as search-and-rescue teams begin to scale back operations, humanitarian needs—particularly food, medical care and protection services—could intensify rather than diminish.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world’s largest professional MMA organization.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of organization
Noun
  • This typically happens because navigating the conflict proves that the relationship is resilient and can withstand the realities of the human experience.
    — Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 2 July 2026
  • That unpredictability, coupled with Johnson’s razor-thin voting margin, is testing the seemingly cozy relationship between the speaker and the president ahead of the midterms.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of relationship
Noun
  • The actor was a replacement after Madonna backed out, leaving the proto-rave tune one of the era’s most unlikely collaborations.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • The company said closer collaboration with GM will also help align future product development, optimize memory at the system level, and prepare upcoming technologies for deployment in future vehicle platforms.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026
Definition of collaboration
Noun
  • Casa Bonita has been a Denver institution for more than 50 years.
    — Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • The surge also did considerable damage to the buildings within the surge zone, 85% of which were residential buildings, according to New York University's Furman Center, an empirical research institution.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Definition of institution
Noun
  • Genuine kinship, even for a few hours, can feel harder than ever to find.
    — Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • Raise the Future offers Family Support Services for foster, kinship and adoptive families.
    — Libby Smith, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Definition of kinship
Noun
  • To get a true demographic profile of those who supported and opposed the empty homes tax would require deeper analysis that could include cross-referencing age, educational attainment and party affiliation, Luna believes.
    — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 July 2026
  • The decision voided the FTC's provision that commissioners could be removed by a president only for cause, and not because of their political affiliations.
    — Dan Mangan,Luke Fountain,Kevin Breuninger,Garrett Downs,Ashley Capoot,Justin Papp, CNBC, 2 July 2026
Definition of affiliation
Noun
  • The institute found that if current enrollment and completion rates continue, most California 9th graders will not earn a bachelor’s degree.
    — Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 3 July 2026
  • More than 20 sites across Kyiv were hit, including residential apartment blocks, a hotel, a research institute and an ambulance station.
    — Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 2 July 2026
Definition of institute

Browse Nearby Words

associating
association
associational
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Association.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/association. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on association

Nglish: Translation of association for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about association

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All