adhere

[ ad-heer ]
See synonyms for: adhereadheredadheresadhering on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object),ad·hered, ad·her·ing.
  1. to stay attached; stick fast; cleave; cling (usually followed by to): The mud adhered to his shoes.

  2. Physics, Chemistry. (of two or more dissimilar substances) to be united by a molecular force acting in the area of contact.

  1. to be devoted in support or allegiance; be attached as a follower or upholder (usually followed by to): to adhere to a party.

  2. to hold closely or firmly (usually followed by to): to adhere to a plan.

  3. Obsolete. to be consistent.

verb (used with object),ad·hered, ad·her·ing.
  1. to cause to adhere; make stick: Glue will adhere the tiles to the wallboard.

Origin of adhere

1
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Medieval Latin adhērēre for Latin adhaerēre (ad- ad- + haerēre “to stick, cling”), perhaps via Middle French adhérer

synonym study For adhere

1. See stick2.

Opposites for adhere

Other words from adhere

  • ad·her·a·ble, adjective
  • ad·her·er, noun
  • pre·ad·here, verb (used without object), pre·ad·hered, pre·ad·her·ing.

Words Nearby adhere

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use adhere in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for adhere

adhere

/ (ədˈhɪə) /


verb(intr)
  1. (usually foll by to) to stick or hold fast

  2. (foll by to) to be devoted (to a political party, cause, religion, etc); be a follower (of)

  1. (foll by to) to follow closely or exactly: adhere to the rules

Origin of adhere

1
C16: via Medieval Latin adhērēre from Latin adhaerēre to stick to

adhere

Derived forms of adhere

  • adherence, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012