according
Americanadjective
adjective
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(foll by to) in proportion; in relation
salary will be according to age and experience
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(foll by to) on the report (of); as stated (by)
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(foll by to) in conformity (with); in accordance (with)
everything went according to plan
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(foll by as) depending (on whether)
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not_standard dependent on
it's all according where you want to go
Etymology
Origin of according
Explanation
If someone says, "according to the weather man, it's going to rain," that means that the weather man is the source of the information. Like the word accord, according comes from the Old French acorder meaning "reconcile, agree, be in harmony." According and the word to seem to be in harmony, the one always followed by the other. The term according to can be used to attribute something reported — according to the news, the airports are closed (even though according to your friend, they're still open). It also refers to agreement with a plan. If you study according to your advisor's suggestions, you'll do well.
Vocabulary lists containing according
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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PARCC: Language of the Test (Grade 11)
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SHSAT: Language of the Test
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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.
According to IDC, global smart-ring shipments are expected to grow through 2027 but begin to plateau in the U.S. by 2028.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
According to their parents, having two sons playing at the highest level means they can enjoy both their successes, and the boys enjoy a friendly and supportive rivalry.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
According to a CHP log, drivers were being diverted off the 4th Street traffic during the ongoing investigation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
According to Anthropic, Fable 5 costs $10 per 1 million input tokens and $50 per 1 million output tokens.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
According to her calculations, she had traveled hundreds of miles, but she still had hundreds more to go.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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.
