link vs free-associate

link is a noun but free-associate is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
link	Yes	No	Yes	No
free-associate	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, free-associate is a hyponym of link; that is, free-associate is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than link:

Other hyponyms of link include remember, interrelate, correlate, identify, have in mind, mean, think of.

link (noun)	free-associate (noun)
a fastener that serves to join or connect
a two-way radio communication system (usually microwave); part of a more extensive telecommunication network
an interconnecting circuit between two or more locations for the purpose of transmitting and receiving data
a channel for communication between groups
(computing) an instruction that connects one part of a program or an element on a list to another program or list
a unit of length equal to 1/100 of a chain
the means of connection between things linked in series
a connecting shape
the state of being connected

link (verb)	free-associate (verb)
make a logical or causal connection	associate freely
connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces
link with or as with a yoke
be or become joined or united or linked