free association

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

free association

1. A spontaneous, logically unconstrained and undirected association of ideas, emotions, and feelings.

2. A psychoanalytic technique in which a patient's articulation of free associations is encouraged in order to reveal unconscious thoughts and emotions, such as traumatic experiences that have been repressed.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

free association

1. (Psychoanalysis) psychoanal a method of exploring a person's unconscious by eliciting words and thoughts that are associated with key words provided by a psychoanalyst

2. a spontaneous mental process whereby ideas, words, or images suggest other ideas, etc, in a nonlogical chain reaction

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

free′ associa′tion

1. Psychoanal. the uncensored expression of the ideas, impressions, etc., passing through the mind of an analysand.

2. any process in which one idea, word, etc., suggests or elicits the next without following any logical order or conscious direction.

[1895–1900]

free′-asso′ciate, v.i. -at•ed, -at•ing.

free association

Psychoanalysis. the unhampered and uncensored expression of ideas, impressions, etc., passing through the mind of the patiënt, used to permit access to the processes of the unconscious.

free association

In this method, sometimes used in psychoanalysis, subjects are encouraged to let their thoughts wander, the final chain of associations often providing clues to the underlying disturbance.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun

free association - a thought process in which ideas (words or images) suggest other ideas in a sequence

cerebration, intellection, mentation, thinking, thought process, thought - the process of using your mind to consider something carefully; "thinking always made him frown"; "she paused for thought"

References in classic literature ?

After the revolution, all the intellectual, artistic, and spiritual activities of men would be cared for by such "free associations"; romantic novelists would be supported by those who liked to read romantic novels, and impressionist painters would be supported by those who liked to look at impressionist pictures--and the same with preachers and scientists, editors and actors and musicians.

View in context

Pacific Territories, the Compact of Free Association (COFA) States, and the Republic of Kiribati.

Hawaii Think Tank to Focus on Hyper-Regional Policy Research

The Commonwealth of Independent States(CIS)is free association ofsovereignstatesthat were formerly part of the Soviet Union.Formed in 1991, it nowcomprises10 countries.

Tajikistan increases trade with CIS

He's a master of groan-inducing wordplay ("The feel of nature abounds and I don't want to leaf," reads one caption) and free association ("Reminds me of a film of oil floating on water," reads another).

The standout Instagram account that's capturing our attention right now

The plaintiffs argue Act violates free speech and free association under the First Amendment.The lawsuit states that Act is a content-based restriction infringing on Plaintiffs right to free speech.

Labor unions file lawsuit over Act 10

He is a practicing artist living in Sydney and was the inaugural director of the International Drawing Research Institute at Compact of Free Association.

IVS exhibits work of Michael Esson on 25th convocation

This study aimed to collect free association norms to 1004 Portuguese words.

Free Association Norms for 1004 Portuguese Words/Normas de Associacao Livre para 1004 Palavras do Portugues Brasileiro

By showcasing the success of the Commonwealth Export Champions, the programme will highlight the trade and investment opportunities for UK businesses across the Commonwealth - a free association of 53 countries, representing one third of the world's population and fastgrowing markets.

ADVICE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

The FSM became independent in 1986, when it entered into a Compact of Free Association with the United States that included 15 years of substantial development aid.

U.S. relations with the Federated States of Micronesia

APHA members can find out how public health funding is faring in their states through a series of free Association fact sheets.

APHA shares state health funding facts

This biomorphism counters Surrealism's equally marked strain of free association as revealed by Dali's Lobster Telephone, 1936, even as David Smith's Saw Head and Chain Head, both 1933, illuminate the germ of an incubating Abstract Expressionism.