Association vs. Community: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
An association is an organized group with a common purpose, while a community is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
Key Differences
An association is typically a group formed for a specific purpose or cause, often professional or academic in nature. A community, however, refers to a group of people living in the same area or sharing common interests or characteristics. Both involve groups of individuals, but their foundations and purposes differ.
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Associations are usually more formal, with membership, rules, and specific objectives. Communities, on the other hand, are often based on shared geography, culture, or social ties, and may not have formal structures. Both provide a sense of belonging but operate differently.
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In an association, activities and goals are usually centered around a specific interest or profession, such as a trade association or a scholarly society. In a community, activities and interactions are more about shared living, cultural practices, or mutual support. Both foster collaboration and interaction among their members.
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Membership in an association is often based on specific qualifications or interests and may require formal admission. Community membership is usually more inclusive, based on residency or shared identity. Both forms of grouping play important roles in social organization and support.
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The impact of an association is often seen in professional or academic advancements, policy changes, or specific project outcomes. The impact of a community is more on social cohesion, cultural preservation, and mutual support. Both are essential for societal progress but contribute in different ways.
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Comparison Chart
Basis of Formation
Specific purpose or interest
Shared location or characteristic
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Primary Focus
Professional or academic interests
Shared living, culture, support
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Membership Criteria
Specific qualifications or interests
Residency or shared identity
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Impact
Professional advancement, policy change
Social cohesion, cultural preservation
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Association and Community Definitions
Association
A formal organization with members sharing a common interest.
The medical association convened to discuss new healthcare policies.
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Community
A group of people living in the same place.
The local community rallied to support the family in need.
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Association
A group of people united in a common purpose.
The homeowners' association set rules for neighborhood maintenance.
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Community
A feeling of fellowship with others due to shared attitudes, interests, and goals.
The online gaming community was a source of friendship and support for her.
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Association
A group organized for a specific purpose.
She joined a writers' association to network with fellow authors.
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Community
A social group sharing common characteristics or interests.
The artist community in the city is known for its creativity and collaboration.
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Association
A connection or cooperative link between people or organizations.
Their association with the research institute provided valuable resources.
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Community
A body of nations or states unified by common interests.
The international community condemned the act of aggression.
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Association
An organized body of people with a particular purpose, especially a business, society, or club.
He became a member of the bar association after passing his law exams.
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Community
A group of people living in the same locality and under the same government.
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Association
The act of associating or being connected with
My parents disapproved of my association with my friends from across town.
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Association
An organized body of people who have an interest, activity, or purpose in common; a society.
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Community
A group of people having common interests
The scientific community.
The international business community.
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Association
A mental connection or relation between thoughts, feelings, ideas, or sensations
My therapist helped me examine my association of food with comfort.
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Community
A group viewed as forming a distinct segment of society
The gay community.
The community of color.
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Association
The act of expressing a link or connection between two things
"The media's association of visa overstayers with illegality is so strong and common as to shape public attitudes towards them" (Junya Morooka).
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Association
A correlation or causal connection
There is a definite association of exercise with improved health.
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Association
(Chemistry) Any of various processes of combination, such as hydration, solvation, or complex-ion formation, depending on relatively weak chemical bonding.
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Association
(Ecology) A large number of organisms in a specific geographic area constituting a community with one or two dominant species.
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Community
A group of organisms interacting with one another and with the environment in a specific region.
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Association
(countable) The state of being associated; a connection to or an affiliation with something.
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Community
(countable) A group sharing a common understanding, and often the same language, law, manners, and/or tradition.
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Association
(statistics) Any relationship between two measured quantities that renders them statistically dependent (but not necessarily causal or a correlation).
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Association
A group of persons associated for a common purpose; an organization; society.
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Community
A group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other.
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Association
(object-oriented programming) Relationship between classes of objects that allows one object instance to cause another to perform an action on its behalf.
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Community
A group of people interacting by electronic means for educational, professional, social, or other purposes; a virtual community.
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Association
A benevolent overseas Chinese organization of popular origin for overseas Chinese individuals with the same surname or trade or business.
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Community
(uncountable) The condition of having certain attitudes and interests in common.
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Association
The act of associating, or state of being associated; union; connection, whether of persons of things.
Self-denial is a kind of holy association with God.
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Community
Common enjoyment or possession; participation.
A community of goods
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Association
Mental connection, or that which is mentally linked or associated with a thing.
Words . . . must owe their powers association.
Why should . . . the holiest words, with all their venerable associations, be profaned?
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Association
Union of persons in a company or society for some particular purpose; as, the American Association for the Advancement of Science; a benevolent association. Specifically, as among the Congregationalists, a society, consisting of a number of ministers, generally the pastors of neighboring churches, united for promoting the interests of religion and the harmony of the churches.
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Association
A formal organization of people or groups of people;
He joined the Modern Language Association
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Community
A local area within a county or county borough which is the lowest tier of local government, usually represented by a community council or town council, which is generally equivalent to a civil parish in England.
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Association
The act of consorting with or joining with others;
You cannot be convicted of criminal guilt by association
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Community
Common possession or enjoyment; participation; as, a community of goods.
The original community of all things.
An unreserved community of thought and feeling.
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Association
The state of being connected together as in memory or imagination;
His association of his father with being beaten was too strong to break
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Community
A body of people having common rights, privileges, or interests, or living in the same place under the same laws and regulations; as, a community of monks. Hence a number of animals living in a common home or with some apparent association of interests.
Creatures that in communities exist.
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Association
A social or business relationship;
A valuable financial affiliation
He was sorry he had to sever his ties with other members of the team
Many close associations with England
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Community
Society at large; a commonwealth or state; a body politic; the public, or people in general.
Burdens upon the poorer classes of the community.
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Association
The process of bringing ideas or events together in memory or imagination;
Conditioning is a form of learning by association
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Community
Common character; likeness.
The essential community of nature between organic growth and inorganic growth.
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Association
A relation resulting from interaction or dependence;
Flints were found in association with the prehistoric remains of the bear
The host is not always injured by association with a parasite
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Community
Commonness; frequency.
Eyes . . . sick and blunted with community.
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Association
(chemistry) any process of combination (especially in solution) that depends on relatively weak chemical bonding
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Community
A group of people living in a particular local area;
The team is drawn from all parts of the community
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Association
(ecology) a group of organisms (plants and animals) that live together in a certain geographical region and constitute a community with a few dominant species
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Community
A group of people having ethnic or cultural or religious characteristics in common;
The Christian community of the apostolic age
He was well known throughout the Catholic community
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Community
A group of nations having common interests;
They hoped to join the NATO community
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Community
The body of people in a learned occupation;
The news spread rapidly through the medical community
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Community
Agreement as to goals;
The preachers and the bootleggers found they had a community of interests
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Community
A district where people live; occupied primarily by private residences
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Community
(ecology) a group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other
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Community
The condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common.
There was a sense of community spirit at the local festival.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What defines an association?
A group formed for a specific purpose or interest.
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Are associations always professional?
Often, but they can also be based on hobbies or other interests.
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Can an association have individual members?
Yes, individuals join based on shared professional or academic interests.
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How is a community defined?
A group of people with shared location, interests, or characteristics.
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Can businesses be part of an association?
Yes, especially in trade or industry-specific associations.
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Do associations impact society?
Yes, through advocacy, professional development, and policy influence.
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How do communities support their members?
Through social support, cultural activities, and shared resources.
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Do communities need formal structures?
No, communities can be informal and based on mutual support.
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Is residency required for community membership?
Often, but some communities are formed around shared characteristics instead.
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Do communities evolve over time?
Yes, reflecting changes in society, culture, and membership.
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What's the role of leadership in associations?
To guide the association towards its goals and manage operations.
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Can associations lobby for policy changes?
Yes, many engage in advocacy and policy influencing.
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Are associations limited by geography?
Not necessarily; they can be local, national, or international.
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Can one belong to multiple associations?
Yes, based on varied interests or professional affiliations.
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How do communities handle conflicts?
Through dialogue, communal decision-making, and shared norms.
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Can community be virtual?
Yes, especially with shared interests or characteristics online.
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Are there dues for association membership?
Often, to support activities and administrative costs.
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What is community engagement?
Participation in community activities and initiatives.
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What makes a strong community?
Shared values, active participation, and mutual respect.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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