Association | Mean of association in English Dictionary

/əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən/

• Noun
• an organized group of people who have the same interest, job, etc.
1. an athletic association [=league]
2. a baseball players' association [=union]
3. an association of local business leaders
• a connection or relationship between things or people
1. They denied having any association with terrorists.
2. They have a long association with the school and have donated millions of dollars to it.
3. a study examining the association [=link] between obesity and heart disease
4. The book was produced by the publisher in association with the museum that sponsored the exhibit. [=the publisher and the museum were both involved in making the book]
• a feeling, memory, or thought that is connected to a person, place, or thing
1. Chicago has pleasant associations for me because of the happy times I spent there.
2. His former school has only bad/negative associations for him. [=he has only unhappy memories of his former school]