associatively
|as-so-ci-a-tive-ly|
🇺🇸
/əˈsoʊʃətɪvli/
🇬🇧
/əˈsəʊʃətɪvli/
(associative)
joined/connected
Etymology
'associative' originates from Latin, specifically the verb 'associare' / the past participle 'associatus', where 'ad-' (a variant) meant 'to' and 'soci-' (from 'socius') meant 'companion' or 'ally'.
'associare' in Latin passed into Old French as 'associer' and into Middle English as 'associate'; the adjective 'associative' developed from 'associate', and the adverb 'associatively' was formed by adding the adverbial suffix '-ly' to 'associative'.
Initially it meant 'to join or unite with', and over time it evolved into meanings related to 'being related by joining or connection'; the adverb now means 'in a manner relating to association' or 'in accordance with the associative property' in technical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a way that connects ideas, memories, or concepts by association; by relating one thing to another through association.
People often think associatively, linking new information to past memories.
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Adverb 2
in a manner relating to the associative property (mathematics/logic) — i.e., so that grouping of operations does not affect the result.
The binary operation behaves associatively, so the order of grouping does not change the outcome.
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Last updated: 2025/11/04 09:10