1
Report a connection
State that two features occur together.
Example
High humidity may be associated with faster decay.
be associated with
/bi əˈsəʊsieɪtɪd wɪð/ · bee uh-SOH-see-ay-tid withrelationship phrase
Be connected with something, without necessarily being caused by it.
Use be associated with to signal this exact relationship between ideas: be connected with something, without necessarily being caused by it.
What be associated with Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Link a feature to a group
Identify a characteristic commonly connected to a category.
Example
The motif is associated with coastal workshops.
3
Avoid causal overclaim
Describe an observed relation before mechanism is known.
Example
The variant is associated with risk but may not cause the condition.
Use be associated with Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
High humidity may be associated with faster decay.
The motif is associated with coastal workshops.
The variant is associated with risk but may not cause the condition.
Precision Matters
Be associated with overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
be associated with
vs.Signals be connected with something, without necessarily being caused by it.
be correlated with
Means vary in a systematic relationship with another measured variable.
be associated with
vs.Signals be connected with something, without necessarily being caused by it.
attributable to
Means capable of being explained as the result of a particular cause.
be associated with
vs.Signals be connected with something, without necessarily being caused by it.
be contingent on
Means depend on a condition that must be met.
be associated with
vs.Signals be connected with something, without necessarily being caused by it.
affinity
Means a strong attraction, liking, or natural connection.
Test be associated with in Context
The study identifies a connection while explicitly withholding a causal claim.
1
In the survey, late-night screen use appeared to ___ shorter sleep, but the design could not establish causation.