associative
adjective
as·so·cia·tive
ə-ˈsō-shē-ˌā-tiv 
-sē-,
-shə-tiv
1
: of or relating to association especially of ideas or images
2
: dependent on or acquired by association or learning
3
: of, having, or being the property of combining to the same mathematical result regardless of the grouping of an expression's elements given that the order of those elements is preserved
addition is associative since (a + b) + c = a + (b + c)
associatively
adverb
Examples of associative in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In this spare, associative novel of projection and self-acceptance, a young woman, Sylvie, nurses an all-consuming obsession with her therapist.
—
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
From a wider perspective, the company’s associative engine and its more unified approach to both data analytics and data integration (plus its self-service analytics capabilities) are probably the factors that set it apart.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Other works were nearly Dadaist in their freewheeling associative play.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Creative cognition draws on both associative and controlled processes.
—Jennifer Kite-Powell, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for associative
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The New Yorker, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
From a wider perspective, the company’s associative engine and its more unified approach to both data analytics and data integration (plus its self-service analytics capabilities) are probably the factors that set it apart.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Other works were nearly Dadaist in their freewheeling associative play.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 5 May 2025
Creative cognition draws on both associative and controlled processes.
—Jennifer Kite-Powell, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for associative
Cite this Entry
“Associative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/associative. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
associative
adjective
as·so·cia·tive
ə-ˈsō-shē-ˌāt-iv
-sē-
-sē-
-shət-iv
1
: of or relating to association
2
: of, having, or being the property of producing the same mathematical value no matter how an expression's elements are grouped so long as the order of those elements is the same
addition is associative since (a + b) + c = a + (b + c)
associatively
adverb
Medical Definition
associative
adjective
as·so·cia·tive
ə-ˈsō-s(h)ē-ˌāt-iv
-shət-iv
-shət-iv
1
: of or relating to association especially of ideas or images
an associative symbol
2
a
: dependent on or characterized by association
an associative reaction
b
: acquired by a process of learning
an associative reflex
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