1. Plural of associationist; philosophers or psychologists who believe that mental processes and ideas are formed through the association of simpler elements or experiences.
Usage: philosophy; psychology; historical

Examples

• The associationists of the 18th century argued that all knowledge comes from sensory experience and mental association.
• British empiricist philosophers like David Hume were early associationists.
• Associationists believed that complex ideas are built from simple sensations linked together.
• The school of associationists influenced the development of modern psychology.
• Locke and other associationists rejected the notion of innate ideas.