association and tie share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. association means “a formal organization of people or groups of people”. tie means “neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front”. tie is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən/
1.n.a formal organization of people or groups of people
“he joined the Modern Language Association”
2.n.the act of consorting with or joining with others
“you cannot be convicted of criminal guilt by association”
3.n.the state of being connected together as in memory or imagination
“his association of his father with being beaten was too strong to break”
| association | tie | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˌsoʊsiˈeɪʃən/ | /ˈtaɪ/ |
| Said | uh-soh-see-AY-shuhn | tahy |
| Syllables | 5 | 1 |
| Letters | 11 | 3 |
| Parts of speech | noun | noun, verb |
| Senses | 8 | 18 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | none recorded | necktie |
Full entry for association · Full entry for tie · More comparisons
/ˈtaɪ/
1.n.neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front
“he stood in front of the mirror tightening his necktie”
2.n.a social or business relationship
“a valuable financial affiliation”
3.n.equality of score in a contest