dissociate — English Dictionary

Verb

1. To cease associating; To part.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Antonyms

   associate

   Examples

   After the big fight, the gang totally dissociated from each other.

2. To cease associating; To part. To undergo dissociation.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   Gerald checked himself into the hospital because he was dissociating.

3. To cease associating; To part. To undergo dissociation.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

4. To cease associating with; to make unrelated; to sever a connection; to separate.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Antonyms

   associate

   Examples

   A number of group members wish to dissociate themselves from the majority.

5. To cease associating with; to make unrelated; to sever a connection; to separate. To separate compounds into simpler component parts, usually by applying heat or through electrolysis.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   We dissociated the lead iodide into its elements by heating

Verb

1. part; cease or break association with

   Synonyms

   disassociatedivorcedisunitedisjoint

   Broader terms

   separatepartsplit upsplitbreakbreak up

   Examples

   She disassociated herself from the organization when she found out the identity of the president

2. regard as unconnected

   Synonyms

   decouple

   Antonyms

   associate

   Broader terms

   distinguishseparatedifferentiatesecernsecernateseveralizeseveralisetelltell apart

   Examples

   you must dissociate these two events!

   decouple our foreign policy from ideology

3. to undergo a reversible or temporary breakdown of a molecule into simpler molecules or atoms

   Broader terms

   decomposebreak upbreak down

   Examples

   acids dissociate to give hydrogen ions