Dissociate means to become separate or detached from something you were connected to, either physically, emotionally, or socially. It can refer to ending a relationship or association, or to a mental process where elements that are normally connected become separated in thought or memory. The term has several related uses across everyday language, law, science, and psychology. Key senses

• Relationship or connection: to end or distance oneself from a person, group, or idea. Example: “She dissociated herself from the organization.”

• Separation or disunion: to cause or undergo separation between things that were together. Example: “Disassociate the components before testing.”

• Psychology/psychiatry: a mental process where parts of experience (memory, identity, consciousness) become disconnected, often in response to trauma or stress. This can range from mild detachment to more substantial dissociative disorders.

Common distinctions

• Dissociate vs disassociate: both relate to separation, but “dissociate” is the standard form in most contexts, including psychology and everyday use; “disassociate” is a variant found in some writing.

• Dissociation (noun) vs dissociated/dissociating (verb forms): describes the act or state of becoming detached.

In everyday language

• Use to indicate formally stepping away from an affiliation or association. Example: “The company dissociated itself from the controversial project.”

• In cognitive terms, you might hear about dissociation as a process where memories or experiences feel temporarily separated from conscious awareness.

If you want, specify the context (e.g., casual usage, legal language, or clinical psychology), and the explanation can be tailored with examples and nuances for that setting.