associate

/əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪt/
adjective
  1. Having a lower rank or status than a full member or employee; joined with others in a limited way.
    • She works as an associate professor at the university.
    • He is an associate member of the tennis club, so he can use the courts on weekdays only.
    • The company hired an associate editor to help with the magazine.
verb
  1. To connect someone or something with another person or thing in your mind.
    • The study associated eating too much sugar with an increased risk of heart disease.
    • I always associate that song with our trip to the beach last summer.
    • Most people associate the smell of cinnamon with the holidays.
  2. To spend time with someone or a group of people, especially as a friend or colleague.
    • She prefers to associate with people who share her love of hiking.
    • The manager warned him not to associate with known troublemakers.
    • In college, he associated mostly with other art students.
  3. To join or combine with others for a common purpose.
    • Several local businesses associated to form a neighborhood improvement group.
    • The two scientists associated their efforts to find a cure for the disease.
    • We decided to associate with a larger company to expand our reach.
Synonyms
noun
  1. A person you work with, especially in a professional or business setting; a colleague.
    • She introduced me to her business associate from Tokyo.
    • My associate will handle your account while I am on vacation.
    • The senior associate at the law firm helped me prepare the documents.
  2. A member of an organization or group who has a lower rank or limited privileges.
    • He joined the club as an associate before becoming a full member.
    • The museum offers associate memberships for students at a reduced price.
    • She was promoted from associate to partner after five years.
What does "associate" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean