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association

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noun British English pronunciation: association /əˌsəʊsiˈeɪʃ(ə)n/ 
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singularassociation
pluralassociations
  1. 1
    [countable] a group of people who have joined together because they have similar interests or aims

    a professional association of engineers

    the Parent-Teacher Association

  2. 2
    [countable/uncountable] a connection with a person, group, or organization
    association with:

    The police knew all about his associations with organized crime.

  3. 3
    [countable] a connection between two things
    association between:

    Some studies show a strong association between pesticide use and certain diseases.

    association with:

    Smoking has a close association with lung cancer.

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