following

[ fol-oh-ing ]

/ ˈfɒl oʊ ɪŋ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR following ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a body of followers, attendants, adherents, etc.

the body of admirers, attendants, patrons, etc., of someone or something: That television show has a large following.

the following, that which comes immediately after, as pages, lines, etc.: See the following for a list of exceptions.

adjective

that follows or moves in the same direction: a following wind.

that comes after or next in order or time; ensuing: the following day.

that is now to follow; now to be mentioned, described, related, or the like: Check the following report for details.

Origin of following

First recorded in 1250–1300, following is from the Middle English word folwing. See follow, -ing¹, -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM following

non·fol·low·ing, adjective

Words nearby following

follow-on, follow-through, follow-up, follower, followership, following, following bougie, followship, folly, folsom, folsom man

Definition for following (2 of 2)

[ fol-oh ]

/ ˈfɒl oʊ /

verb (used with object)

to come after in sequence, order of time, etc.: The speech follows the dinner.

to go or come after; move behind in the same direction: Drive ahead, and I'll follow you.

to accept as a guide or leader; accept the authority of or give allegiance to: Many Germans followed Hitler.

to conform to, comply with, or act in accordance with; obey: to follow orders; to follow advice.

to imitate or copy; use as an exemplar: They follow the latest fads.

to move forward along (a road, path, etc.): Follow this road for a mile.

to come after as a result or consequence; result from: Reprisals often follow victory.

to go after or along with (a person) as companion.

to go in pursuit of: to follow an enemy.

to try for or attain to: to follow an ideal.

to engage in or be concerned with as a pursuit: He followed the sea as his true calling.

to watch the movements, progress, or course of: to follow a bird in flight.

to watch the development of or keep up with: to follow the news.

to keep up with and understand (an argument, story, etc.): Do you follow me?

verb (used without object)

to come next after something else in sequence, order of time, etc.

to happen or occur after something else; come next as an event: After the defeat great disorder followed.

to attend or serve.

to go or come after a person or thing in motion.

to result as an effect; occur as a consequence: It follows then that he must be innocent.

noun

the act of following.

Billiards, Pool. follow shot(def 2).

follow-up(def 3).

Verb Phrases

follow out, to carry to a conclusion; execute: They followed out their orders to the letter.

follow through,

to carry out fully, as a stroke of a club in golf, a racket in tennis, etc.
to continue an effort, plan, proposal, policy, etc., to its completion.

follow up,

to pursue closely and tenaciously.
to increase the effectiveness of by further action or repetition.
to pursue to a solution or conclusion.

Origin of follow

before 900; Middle English folwen, Old English folgian; cognate with Old Saxon folgon, Old High German folgēn, folgōn (German folgen)

SYNONYMS FOR follow

3 obey.

4 heed, observe.

8 accompany, attend.

9 pursue, chase; trail, track, trace.

19 arise, proceed. Follow, ensue, result, succeed imply coming after something else, in a natural sequence. Follow is the general word: We must wait to see what follows. A detailed account follows. Ensue implies a logical sequence, what might be expected normally to come after a given act, cause, etc.: When the power lines were cut, a paralysis of transportation ensued. Result emphasizes the connection between a cause or event and its effect, consequence, or outcome: The accident resulted in injuries to those involved. Succeed implies coming after in time, particularly coming into a title, office, etc.: Formerly the oldest son succeeded to his father's title.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR follow ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR follow

1 precede.

2, 3 lead.

4 disregard.

9 flee.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR follow ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM follow

fol·low·a·ble, adjective un·fol·low·a·ble, adjective un·fol·lowed, adjective well-fol·lowed, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for following

I was pregnant, uncomfortably so, for the first time and with twins, due the following March.

I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 |Vicky Ward |January 7, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
The following page details a tribute gag the Simpsons team inserted into the background of a scene.

Here’s the Lost Judd Apatow ‘Simpsons’ Episode, Penned by Judd Apatow |Asawin Suebsaeng |January 6, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
Following the Apatow references, Marge informs Homer that she needs to use the “Porta Potty.”

Here’s the Lost Judd Apatow ‘Simpsons’ Episode, Penned by Judd Apatow |Asawin Suebsaeng |January 6, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
The following month came, and for lack of a better term, I chickened out.

Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen |Parker Molloy |January 1, 2015 |DAILY BEAST

In the weeks following the Sept. 9, car bombing at the Iranian base, Iran raided a village in the Pakistani district of Chagai.

The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan |Umar Farooq |December 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
That he had some notice of what was to be expected from that quarter, appears by the following letter to his friend, Mr. Becher.

Life of Lord Byron, Vol. I. (of VI.) |Thomas Moore
But Earle, following the spectacled man out of the room, stopped in the doorway.

Frank of Freedom Hill |Samuel A. Derieux
And you will see this more plainly still from the following consideration.

Plutarch's Morals |Plutarch
The visitor called early in the morning of the following day, and found Addie bent over her washtubs in the back yard.

Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves |Work Projects Administration
The term "the rest," applied to persons, occurs in the following passages of the Apocalypse in addition to that before us: chaps.

The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Revelation |William Milligan

British Dictionary definitions for following (1 of 2)

following

/ (ˈfɒləʊɪŋ) /

adjective

(prenominal) about to be mentioned, specified, etcthe following items
(as noun)will the following please raise their hands?

(of winds, currents, etc) moving in the same direction as the course of a vessel

noun

a group of supporters or enthusiasts he attracted a large following wherever he played

preposition

as a result of he was arrested following a tip-off

usage for following

The use of following to mean as a result of is very common in journalism, but should be avoided in other kinds of writing

British Dictionary definitions for following (2 of 2)

/ (ˈfɒləʊ) /

verb

to go or come after in the same direction he followed his friend home

(tr) to accompany; attend she followed her sister everywhere

to come after as a logical or natural consequence

(tr) to keep to the course or track of she followed the towpath

(tr) to act in accordance with; obey to follow instructions

(tr) to accept the ideas or beliefs of (a previous authority, etc) he followed Donne in most of his teachings

to understand (an explanation, argument, etc) the lesson was difficult to follow

to watch closely or continuously she followed his progress carefully

(tr) to have a keen interest in to follow athletics

(tr) to help in the cause of or accept the leadership of the men who followed Napoleon

(tr) to choose to receive messages posted by (a blogger or microblogger) I've been following her online

(tr) rare to earn a living at or in to follow the Navy

follow suit cards

to play a card of the same suit as the card played immediately before it
to do the same as someone else

noun

billiards snooker

a forward spin imparted to a cue ball causing it to roll after the object ball
a shot made in this way

See also follow-on, follow out, follow through, follow up

Derived forms of follow

followable, adjective

Word Origin for follow

Old English folgian; related to Old Frisian folgia, Old Saxon folgōn, Old High German folgēn

Idioms and Phrases with following

In addition to the idioms beginning with follow

follow along
follow in someone's footsteps
follow one's nose
follow out
follow suit
follow the crowd
follow through
follow up

also see:

as follows
camp follower
hard act to follow

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

following

noun

adjective

Origin of following

OTHER WORDS FROM following

Words nearby following

Definition for following (2 of 2)

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of follow

SYNONYMS FOR follow

ANTONYMS FOR follow

OTHER WORDS FROM follow

Example sentences from the Web for following

British Dictionary definitions for following (1 of 2)

adjective

noun

preposition

usage for following

British Dictionary definitions for following (2 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of follow

Word Origin for follow

Idioms and Phrases with following

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

following

noun

adjective

Origin of following

OTHER WORDS FROM following

Words nearby following

Definition for following (2 of 2)

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of follow

SYNONYMS FOR follow

ANTONYMS FOR follow

OTHER WORDS FROM follow

Words related to following

Example sentences from the Web for following

British Dictionary definitions for following (1 of 2)

adjective

noun

preposition

usage for following

British Dictionary definitions for following (2 of 2)

verb

noun

Derived forms of follow

Word Origin for follow

Idioms and Phrases with following