As nouns the difference between affiliate and associate is that affiliate is someone or something that is affiliated, or associated; a member of a group of associated things while associate is a person united with another or others in an act, enterprise, or business; a partner or colleague. As verbs the difference between affiliate and associate is that affiliate is to adopt; to receive into a family as a son; hence, to bring or receive into close connection; to ally while associate is to join in or form a league, union, or association. As a adjective associate is joined with another or others and having equal or nearly equal status.

Affiliate

Noun
Someone or something that is affiliated, or associated; a member of a group of associated things.
The local channel was an affiliate of a national network.

Verb (affiliat)
To adopt; to receive into a family as a son; hence, to bring or receive into close connection; to ally.
* I. Taylor
Is the soul affiliated to God, or is it estranged and in rebellion?
To fix the paternity of; — said of an illegitimate child.
to affiliate the child to (or on or upon) one man rather than another
To connect in the way of descent; to trace origin to.
* H. Spencer
How do these facts tend to affiliate the faculty of hearing upon the aboriginal vegetative processes?
To attach (to) or unite (with); to receive into a society as a member, and initiate into its mysteries, plans, etc.; — followed by to'' or ''with .
Derived terms
* affiliate with * affiliate to * affiliation
Example: Affiated companies are companies that you own and operate beneath your brand umbrella.

Associate

Adjective
Joined with another or others and having equal or nearly equal status.
He is an associate editor.
Having partial status or privileges.
He is an associate member of the club.
Following or accompanying; concomitant.
(biology, dated) Connected by habit or sympathy.
associate motions: those that occur sympathetically, in consequence of preceding motions

Noun
A person united with another or others in an act, enterprise, or business; a partner or colleague.
A companion; a comrade.
One that habitually accompanies or is associated with another; an attendant circumstance.
A member of an institution or society who is granted only partial status or privileges.

Verb
(associat)
(lb) To join in or form a league, union, or association.
(lb) To spend time socially; keep company.

*:As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish,I do not suppose that it matters much in reality whether laws are made by dukes or cornerboys, but I like, as far as possible, to associate with gentlemen in private life.
To join as a partner, ally, or friend.
To connect or join together; combine.
To connect evidentially, or in the mind or imagination.
*(rfdate) (John Keats) (1795-1821)
*:I always somehow associate Chatterton with autumn.
* (1800-1859)

To be associative.
To accompany; to keep company with.
*(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
*:Friends should associate friends in grief and woe.
Synonym: join

Example: An associate company in accounting and business valuation is a company in which another company owns a significant portion of voting shares, usually 20–50%. In this case, an owner does not consolidate the associate's financial statements. An associate company, in its broadest sense, is a corporation in which a parent company possesses an ownership stake. Usually, the parent company owns only a minority stake of the associate company, as opposed to a subsidiary company, in which a majority stake is owned. The actual definition varies greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and in different fields, as the concept of the associate company is used in economics, accounting, taxation, securities, and beyond.