a method of exploring a person's unconscious by eliciting words and thoughts that are associated with key words provided by a psychoanalyst
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
free′ associa′tion, [Psychoanal.]
- Psychotherapythe uncensored expression of the ideas, impressions, etc., passing through the mind of the analysand, a technique used to facilitate access to the unconscious.
- 1895–1900
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'free association' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):