dissociate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to break the association of; separate.
The organization issued a statement dissociating itself from the violent protests.
It’s difficult for me to dissociate cranberries from Thanksgiving.
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Psychiatry.
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to cause (certain mental processes or parts of the personality) to become separated from the main part of a person's consciousness as a result of trauma or mental illness.
To avoid fear or pain, the victim may dissociate the memory of the place, circumstances, or feelings related to the incident.
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to cause (a person) to undergo this kind of internal split.
He may be so dissociated from his feelings that he can’t rely on them as a clue to whom to trust.
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Chemistry.
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to cause (a complex substance) to resolve or decompose into its simpler constituents as a result of a change in physical conditions.
UV radiation dissociates NO2 into NO (nitrogen monoxide) and O (atomic oxygen).
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to cause (a constituent of a complex substance) to separate from others in this way.
Within hours, the oxygen became dissociated from the hemoglobin of the blood clot.
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to cause (the molecules of an electrolyte) to separate into their constituent atoms.
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verb (used without object)
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to end or break an association; disconnect or become disconnected.
Users tend to dissociate from websites that require them to fill out a form.
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Psychiatry. to undergo the splitting off of certain mental processes from the main part of one’s consciousness as a result of trauma or mental illness.
As a child she learned to dissociate from the pain of abandonment.
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Chemistry.
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(of a complex substance) to resolve or decompose reversibly into its simpler constituents as a result of a change in physical conditions.
Under great heat, water dissociates into hydrogen and oxygen.
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(of a constituent) to become separated from the other constituents of a complex substance in this way.
At this point in the process, subunits of the protein dissociate from each other and from the receptor.
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(of the molecules of an electrolyte) to separate into their constituent atoms.
Strong electrolytes dissociate completely, leaving only individual ions in the solution with virtually no intact molecules.
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verb
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to break or cause to break the association between (people, organizations, etc)
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(tr) to regard or treat as separate or unconnected
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to undergo or subject to dissociation
Other Word Forms
- dissociative adjective
Etymology
Origin of dissociate
First recorded in 1605–15; dis- 1 + (as)sociate, modeled on Latin dissociātus “divided,” past participle of dissociāre “to divide, sever”
Explanation
To dissociate is to break apart from someone, such as an employee leaving a business or a spouse leaving a marriage. Dissociate is the opposite of associate. It comes from the Latin dissociare, which means basically "to disunite." To dissociate is to stop associating with someone. If a relationship ends, the two people are dissociated from one another. When you see the word dissociate, think "break-up."
Vocabulary lists containing dissociate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Some may look at this incident as being somewhat playful, but it's hard to dissociate what could very easily be construed as animosity toward the police," he said.
From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026
I still do it when she’s napping though, I just sit on my phone and fully dissociate.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2025
She has no trouble watching the finished product though — she can even dissociate and just watch it as a film.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 22, 2024
You have to have to dissociate yourself from the character, but you also have to dissociate yourself from your work.
From Salon • Jan. 19, 2024
She said that she would understand if Anthony wanted to dissociate herself from her opinions, that she was “ready to stand alone.”
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
