n 1  :  the act of associating  2  :  something linked in memory or imagination with a thing or person  3  :  the process of forming mental connections or bonds between sensations, ideas, or memories  4  :  the aggregation of chemical species to form (as with hydrogen bonds) loosely bound chemical complexes - compare POLYMERIZATION1   as*so*ci*a*tion*al adj 
 
   
 
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