First published 1885; not yet revised
associationnoun
Factsheet
What does the noun association mean?
There are 15 meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun association, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
association has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun association?
About 70occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 6.9 |
| 1760 | 9.4 |
| 1770 | 17 |
| 1780 | 14 |
| 1790 | 21 |
| 1800 | 24 |
| 1810 | 23 |
| 1820 | 26 |
| 1830 | 33 |
| 1840 | 36 |
| 1850 | 38 |
| 1860 | 37 |
| 1870 | 39 |
| 1880 | 42 |
| 1890 | 49 |
| 1900 | 52 |
| 1910 | 70 |
| 1920 | 79 |
| 1930 | 76 |
| 1940 | 73 |
| 1950 | 75 |
| 1960 | 78 |
| 1970 | 79 |
| 1980 | 72 |
| 1990 | 68 |
| 2000 | 62 |
| 2010 | 62 |
How is the noun association pronounced?
British English
/əˌsəʊsɪˈeɪʃn/
uh-soh-see-AY-shuhn
/əˌsəʊʃɪˈeɪʃn/
uh-soh-shee-AY-shuhn
U.S. English
/əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən/
uh-soh-see-AY-shuhn
/əˌsoʊʃiˈeɪʃən/
uh-soh-shee-AY-shuhn
Where does the noun association come from?
Earliest known use
mid 1500s
The earliest known use of the noun association is in the mid 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for association is from 1535, in the writing of Bishop Winchester.
association is a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: Latin associātiōn-em.
Nearby entries
- associable, adj.1611–
- associableness, n.1847–
- associate, adj. & n.1398–
- associate, v.1398–
- associated, adj.1611–
- associatedness, n.1862–
- associate professor, n.1812–
- associateship, n.1846–
- associating, n.1644–
- associating, adj.1646–
- association, n.1535–
- associational, adj.1815–
- associationism, n.1875–
- associationist, n.1845–
- associationistic, adj.1901–
- associative, adj.1812–
- associativeness, n.1878
- associator, n.1613–
- associatory, adj.1880–
- associe, v.c1380–1480
- associes, n.1916–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for association, n.
association, n. was first published in 1885; not yet revised
association, n. was last modified in July 2023
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into association, n. in July 2023.
Earlier versions of association, n. were published in:
OED First Edition (1885)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for association, n.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- associable, adj.1611–
- associableness, n.1847–
- associate, adj. & n.1398–
- associate, v.1398–
- associated, adj.1611–
- associatedness, n.1862–
- associate professor, n.1812–
- associateship, n.1846–
- associating, n.1644–
- associating, adj.1646–
- association, n.1535–
- associational, adj.1815–
- associationism, n.1875–
- associationist, n.1845–
- associationistic, adj.1901–
- associative, adj.1812–
- associativeness, n.1878
- associator, n.1613–
- associatory, adj.1880–
- associe, v.c1380–1480
- associes, n.1916–
