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Glite Dictionary
👥 A group member 🔗 A connector 🌈 A synesthesia type
associator

associator

9.9
A person with synesthesia who sees colors only in their mind for letters or numbers
  • noun
  • /əˈsoʊʃiˌeɪtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : asociador
  • As an associator, she sees the color of numbers only in her mind, not on objects.

Examples

  • Unlike projectors, an associator does not see colors on the page but imagines them mentally.

  • Many associators describe their synesthetic experiences as vivid but entirely internal.

  • An associator often sees letters in bright colors.

  • Many associators describe their experiences vividly.

  • As an associator, she experiences vivid colors whenever she thinks of specific numbers.

  • Many associators find that their connections between colors and letters enhance their creativity.

  • An associator might visualize the letter A as bright red, associating it with warmth and energy.

Surface Forms

associator singular
associators plural

Morphology

associator = associate (semi-transparent) = associate + or

Morphologically an agentive formation from 'associate', but the sense is a specialized technical term in synesthesia (mental-only associations).

Etymology

The word associator comes from the Latin parts ad- 'to' and socius 'companion', the same root as associate, and it helps to think of making a mental link. So an associator in the synesthesia sense is someone who joins colours or sensations to letters or numbers inside their mind.