Associated means connected with something else. Associated costs, closely associated, associated with the group.
It takes with, and it is deliberately weaker than caused by, which is why research reports use it so heavily — a factor associated with an outcome may cause it, follow it, or share a cause with it. Reading association as causation is the commonest error in science reporting.
1adjectiveassociatedConnected with something else.
“Smoking is associated with many serious illnesses.”
associated is a connection.