Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of adherence
Explanation
Adherence means "sticking to" or "being faithful to," such as your adherence to your diet even when chocolate cake is around, or students' adherence to school rules — they do not use cell phones or music players in class. The noun adherence is related to the verb adhere, meaning “to stick.” If something adheres, it sticks it to something, like a bumper stick that adheres to a car or a person who adheres to a plan, not changing it along the way. Adherence describes this willingness to stick or be faithful, like adherence to child labor laws that means young workers cannot work past a certain time on school nights.
Vocabulary lists containing adherence
This Week in Words: December 9 - 15, 2017
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Lyddie
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Herbert Hoover on "Rugged Individualism" (1928)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Adherence rates are usually lower in real life than in the closely controlled environment of clinical trials.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026
Adherence to this regimen is challenging, and over time this can cause severe complications such as eye, kidney and nerve damage, potentially leading to limb amputations.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2024
Adherence to these standards is already outlined as part of T-Mobile’s code of conduct for its commercial messaging customers.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2024
Adherence to medication was higher among the polypill users, and increased over time, the researchers found.
From New York Times • Aug. 26, 2022
Adherence; steady or firm attachment; fidelity; as, to error, to a policy.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
