the act of associating, or state of being associated; union; connection, whether of persons of things.-mental connection, or that which is mentally linked or associated with a thing.-union of persons in a company or society for some particular purpose; as, the american association for the advancement of science; a benevolent association.  specifically, as among the congregationalists, a society, consisting of a number of ministers, generally the pastors of neighboring churches, united for promoting the interests of religion and the harmony of the churches.