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association (n.)

1530s, "action of coming together for a common purpose," from Medieval Latin associationem (nominative associatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of associare "join with," from assimilated form of ad "to" (see ad-) + sociare "unite with," from socius "companion, ally" (from PIE *sokw-yo-, suffixed form of root *sekw- (1) "to follow"). Meaning "an organized body of persons with a common purpose" is from 1650s. Meaning "mental connection" is from 1680s; that of "quality or thing called to mind by something else" is from 1810.

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Definitions of association from WordNet

association (n.)
a formal organization of people or groups of people;
association (n.)
the act of consorting with or joining with others;
you cannot be convicted of criminal guilt by association
association (n.)
the state of being connected together as in memory or imagination;
his association of his father with being beaten was too strong to break
association (n.)
the process of bringing ideas or events together in memory or imagination;
conditioning is a form of learning by association
Synonyms: connection / connexion
association (n.)
a social or business relationship;
many close associations with England
Synonyms: affiliation / tie / tie-up
association (n.)
a relation resulting from interaction or dependence;
flints were found in association with the prehistoric remains of the bear
the host is not always injured by association with a parasite
association (n.)
(chemistry) any process of combination (especially in solution) that depends on relatively weak chemical bonding;
association (n.)
(ecology) a group of organisms (plants and animals) that live together in a certain geographical region and constitute a community with a few dominant species;
From wordnet.princeton.edu