fol·low·ing
(fŏĺō-ĭng)
adjective
- Coming next in time or order: in the following chapter.
- Now to be enumerated: The following people will report for duty.
- Blowing in the same direction as the course of a ship or an aircraft. Used of wind.
noun
- A group or gathering of admirers, adherents, or disciples: a lecturer with a large following.
prep.
- Subsequent to; after: Following dinner, brandy was served in the study.
fol·low
(fŏĺō)
[Middle English folowen, from Old English folgian.]
verb: -lowed, -low·ing, -lows.
transitive verb
- To come or go after; proceed behind: Follow the usher to your seat.
- To go after in or as if in pursuit: “The wrong she had done followed her and haunted her dream” (Katherine Anne Porter)
- To keep under surveillance: followed the suspect around town.
- To move along the course of; take: We followed a path to the shore.
- To go in the direction of; be guided by: followed the sun westward across the plains; followed the signs to the zoo.
- To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of: follow a spiritual master; rebels who refused to follow their commander.
- To adhere to; practice: followed family traditions.
- To take as a model or precedent; imitate: followed my example and resigned.
- To act in agreement or compliance with; obey: follow the rules; follow one's instincts.
- To keep to or stick to: followed the recipe; follow a diet.
- To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
- To come after in order, time, or position: Night follows day.
- To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of: She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit record with a tour.
- To occur or be evident as a consequence of: Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
- To watch or observe closely: followed the bird through binoculars.
- To be attentive to; pay close heed to: too sleepy to follow the sermon.
- To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of: follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
- To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand: Do you follow my argument?
intransitive verb
- To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
- To occur or be evident as a consequence; result: If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
- To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.
noun
- The act or an instance of following.
- Games A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.
phrasal verbs
- follow along
- To move or proceed in unison or in accord with an example: followed along with the song.
- follow through
- Sports To carry a stroke to natural completion after hitting or releasing a ball or other object.
- To carry an act, project, or intention to completion; pursue fully: followed through on her promise to reorganize the department.
- follow up
- To carry to completion; follow through on: followed up their recommendations with concrete proposals.
- To increase the effectiveness or enhance the success of by further action: followed up her interview with an e-mail.
idioms
- as follows
- As will be stated next. Used to introduce a specified enumeration, explanation, or command.
- follow (one's) nose
- To move straight ahead or in a direct path. Informal To be guided by instinct: had no formal training but became a success by following his nose.
- follow suit
- Games To play a card of the same suit as the one led. To do as another has done; follow an example.
usage note
Usage Note: As follows (not as follow ) is the established form of the idiom regardless of whether the noun that precedes it is singular or plural: The regulations are as follows.
synonyms:
follow, succeed, ensue, result, supervene These verbs mean to come after something or someone. Follow, which has the widest application, can refer to coming after in time or order, as a consequence or result, or by the operation of logic: Night follows day. He disregarded doctor's orders, and a relapse followed. Because she decries violence, it follows that she won't carry a gun. To succeed is to come next after another, especially in planned order determined by considerations such as rank, inheritance, or election: The heir apparent succeeded to the throne. Ensue usually applies to what is a consequence or logical development: After the government was toppled, chaos ensued. Result implies that what follows is caused by what has preceded: Failure to file an income tax return can result in a fine. Supervene, in contrast, refers to something that is often unexpected and that has little relation to what has preceded: “A bad harvest supervened” (Charlotte Brontë)
