Standard Lemma guide

associative

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /əˈsoʊ.ʃi.ə.tɪv/
  • US: /əˈsoʊ.si.ə.tɪv/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 S OW1 SH AH0 T IH2 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Pertaining to, resulting from, or characterised by association; capable of associating; tending to associate or unite.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Such that, for any operands a,b and c, (a*b)*c=a*(b*c); (of a ring, etc.) whose multiplication operation is associative.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: algebra, mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Addressable by a key more complex than an integer index.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • AWK's associative arrays may be indexed by strings.
  • Associative memories were once given considerable attention.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

characterized by or causing or resulting from the process of bringing ideas or events together in memory or imagination

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • associative learning

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: associatory

Antonyms: nonassociative

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English associate Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Old French -ifbor. Middle English -yf English -ive English associative From associate + -ive.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: associatiu — algebraic property of an operator
  • Czech: asociativní — algebraic property of an operator
  • Danish: associativ — algebraic property of an operator
  • Finnish: assosiatiivinen — algebraic property of an operator
  • Finnish: liitännäinen — algebraic property of an operator
  • French: associatif — algebraic property of an operator
  • German: assoziativ — algebraic property of an operator
  • Greek: προσεταιριστικός (prosetairistikós) — algebraic property of an operator
  • Hungarian: asszociatív — algebraic property of an operator
  • Icelandic: tenginn — algebraic property of an operator
  • Icelandic: tengi- — algebraic property of an operator
  • Indonesian: asosiatif — algebraic property of an operator
  • Irish: comhthiomsaitheach — algebraic property of an operator
  • Italian: associativo — algebraic property of an operator
  • Polish: łączny — algebraic property of an operator
  • Polish: asocjatywny — algebraic property of an operator
  • Portuguese: associativo — algebraic property of an operator
  • Romanian: asociativ — algebraic property of an operator
  • Russian: ассоциати́вный (associatívnyj) — algebraic property of an operator
  • Spanish: asociativo — algebraic property of an operator
  • Swedish: associativ — algebraic property of an operator
  • Tagalog: ugnayin — algebraic property of an operator
  • Turkish: birleşmeli — algebraic property of an operator
  • Ukrainian: асоціати́вний (asociatývnyj) — algebraic property of an operator