What is the meaning of association?

noun

• A formal organization of people or groups of people.
  • usage: "he joined the Modern Language Association"
• The act of consorting with or joining with others.
  • usage: "you cannot be convicted of criminal guilt by association"
• The state of being connected together as in memory or imagination.
  • usage: "his association of his father with being beaten was too strong to break"
• The process of bringing ideas or events together in memory or imagination.
  • usage: "conditioning is a form of learning by association"
  • synonyms: connection, connexion
• A social or business relationship.
  • usage: "a valuable financial affiliation"; "he was sorry he had to sever his ties with other members of the team"; "many close associations with England"
  • synonyms: affiliation, tie, tie-up
• A relation resulting from interaction or dependence.
  • usage: "flints were found in association with the prehistoric remains of the bear"; "the host is not always injured by association with a parasite"
• Chemistry) any process of combination (especially in solution) that depends on relatively weak chemical bonding. (
• Ecology) a group of organisms (plants and animals) that live together in a certain geographical region and constitute a community with a few dominant species. (.