following

American  

[fol-oh-ing] / ˈfɒl oʊ ɪŋ /

noun

1. a body of followers, attendants, adherents, etc.

2. the body of admirers, attendants, patrons, etc., of someone or something.

   That television show has a large following.

3. the following, that which comes immediately after, as pages, lines, etc..

   See the following for a list of exceptions.

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adjective

1. that follows or moves in the same direction.

   a following wind.

2. that comes after or next in order or time; ensuing.

   the following day.

3. that is now to follow; now to be mentioned, described, related, or the like.

   Check the following report for details.

following British  

/ ˈfɒləʊɪŋ /

adjective

1. 1. (prenominal) about to be mentioned, specified, etc

      the following items

   2. ( as noun )

      will the following please raise their hands?

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

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noun

1. a group of supporters or enthusiasts

   he attracted a large following wherever he played

preposition

1. as a result of

   he was arrested following a tip-off

Usage

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfollowing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of following

First recorded in 1250–1300, following is from the Middle English word folwing. See follow, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Explanation

Following means "coming immediately after," as in: "My birthday was Monday. The following day, I returned the following gifts: a purple cowboy hat, a stuffed aardvark, and huge rubber duckie." To follow is to go after. If you’re watching a TV show, when it’s over you might stay on the couch and watch the following show. As a noun, following can refer to a group of fans or a bunch of people who follow someone in the sense of believing in them. A band might have a large following, and the leader of a cult also has a devoted following. On tests, you're likely to see following used to introduce information or answer choices, as in "Which of the following triangles is an isosceles triangle."

Example Sentences

Then, the following day, large “super-scooper” aircraft arrived and were able to drop seawater on remaining hot spots.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

With their fans behind them - they will have a crazy following as usual from the Tartan Army - they can do it.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

But he maintains that a successful debut will create excitement in the market following its IPO, creating a boon for other stocks.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

Jason Miller, a logistics professor at Michigan State University, said the industry will now wait to see whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates following a strong April jobs report.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Marlene quickened her step noticeably, and, following along behind, so did we.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

Related Words

• coming
• consecutive
• ensuing
• subsequent
• succeeding
• successive