associated

associated — adjective

1. happening or existing together, so that people often think of one thing when the

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

happening or existing together, so that people often think of one thing when they see or hear the other — for example, the health risks associated with smoking, or the stress associated with a demanding job.

Example

Dr. Elena Voss published a study on health risks associated with living near busy roads.

associated with + gerund phrase (living near)

The anxiety associated with public speaking affects millions of people worldwide.

Common collocations
  • risks associated with
  • benefits associated with
  • problems associated with
  • side effects associated with
  • costs associated with
  • stress associated with
  • anxiety associated with
Synonyms
  • connected

    broader and more general; 'connected' simply states a link exists, while 'associated' often implies a habitual or typical pairing

  • related

    focuses on logical or causal links; more common in formal or academic contexts

  • linked

    emphasizes a direct, often causal connection; slightly stronger than 'associated'

Antonyms
  • unrelated

    implies no meaningful connection exists

  • separate

    emphasizes things are distinct and not linked

Grammar Patterns

associated + with + noun phrase

noun + associated + with + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often employed in academic, medical, or technical writing to describe relationships between factors, risks, symptoms, or outcomes.

Common Mistakes

The report discussed the associated risks.
The report discussed the risks associated with the new policy.
using 'associated' alone without 'with' can be unclear; name what the things are connected to.
This disease is associated to smoking.
This disease is associated with smoking.
the correct preposition is 'with', not 'to'.

2. giving support to or taking part in a particular organization, group, or activit

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

giving support to or taking part in a particular organization, group, or activity as a member or participant.

Example

Several well-known actors are associated with the charity's education campaign.

be + associated + with + organization

Hui has been associated with the environmental group Green Future since 2019.

present perfect passive: has been associated with

Common collocations
  • associated with an organization
  • associated with a charity
  • associated with a political party
  • associated with a movement
  • associated with a campaign
  • associated with a project
Synonyms
  • affiliated

    more formal and suggests an official connection or membership through a recognized body

  • involved

    broader in scope; 'involved' can mean simply taking part without implying formal support

  • connected

    softer and more general; 'connected to an organization' may imply a looser tie than 'associated with'

Antonyms
  • unaffiliated

    not officially linked to any group or organization

  • independent

    free from any organizational ties or obligations

Grammar Patterns

be + associated + with + organization/cause/activity

Usage Note

Always requires a form of 'be' (such as 'is', 'was', 'has been') followed by 'with' and the name of an organization, cause, or activity. Cannot be used attributively — you would not say 'an associated member' in this sense (that meaning belongs to the base adjective 'associate').

Common Mistakes

He associated with the club for three years.
He has been associated with the club for three years.
when using 'associated' as an adjective, add a form of 'be'; the bare form 'associated' without 'be' reads like a past-tense verb.
She is associated to the research centre.
She is associated with the research centre.
the preposition is always 'with', never 'to'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a relationship between two or more things, but they differ in strength and scope. 'Connected' is the broadest and most neutral — two items can be connected in any way (physically, logically, or socially). 'Related' usually implies a logical, causal, or family-type bond and is common in academic writing ('related fields of study'). 'Linked' suggests a tighter, more direct connection, often with a cause-and-effect feel ('smoking is linked to lung cancer'). 'Associated' sits between 'connected' and 'linked' in strength and frequently appears alongside 'with' to name the specific accompanying factor. 'Involved' leans toward participation rather than mere relation — a person is involved in an activity, not just connected to it. For example: 'The symptoms connected to the flu include fever and cough' (neutral listing); 'The symptoms associated with the flu include fever and cough' (typical pairing); 'The flu is linked to serious complications in elderly patients' (strong causal claim).

connected ↗related ↗linkedinvolved ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • associated with

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The adjective 'associated' comes from the past participle of the verb 'associate', which entered English in the 15th century from Latin 'associatus', the past participle of 'associare' (to join with). The Latin root breaks down as 'ad-' (to, toward) + 'sociare' (to join, share), from 'socius' (companion, ally). So the literal meaning is 'joined together as companions'. The adjective form became common in the 17th century, first describing connected ideas and later people connected to organizations.