Real Dictionary

associate
Associate is used before a rank or title to indicate a slightly different or lower rank or title.
Your associates are the people you are closely connected with, especially at work.
verb: If you are associated with a particular organization, cause, or point of view, or if you associate yourself with it, you support it publicly.
verb: If you associate someone or something with another thing, the two are connected in your mind.
verb: If you say that someone is associating with another person or group of people, you mean they are spending a lot of time in the company of people you do not approve of.

associate in American English
to join together; connect; combine
adjective: connected, joined, or related, esp. as a companion or colleague; having equal or nearly equal responsibility
intransitive verb: to enter into union; unite
noun: a person who shares actively in anything as a business, enterprise, or undertaking; partner; colleague; fellow worker
transitive verb: to connect or bring into relation, as thought, feeling, memory, etc

associate in British English
adjective: joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; having equal or nearly equal status
noun: a person joined with another or others in an enterprise, business, etc; partner; colleague
verb: to link or connect in the mind or imagination