adhere
Americanverb (used without object)
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to stay attached; stick fast; cleave; cling (usually followed byto ).
The mud adhered to his shoes.
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Physics, Chemistry. (of two or more dissimilar substances) to be united by a molecular force acting in the area of contact.
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to be devoted in support or allegiance; be attached as a follower or upholder (usually followed byto ).
to adhere to a party.
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to hold closely or firmly (usually followed byto ).
to adhere to a plan.
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Obsolete. to be consistent.
verb (used with object)
verb
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(usually foll by to) to stick or hold fast
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(foll by to) to be devoted (to a political party, cause, religion, etc); be a follower (of)
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(foll by to) to follow closely or exactly
adhere to the rules
Synonym Usage
See stick 2.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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adheresimple
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adheressimple
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have adheredperfect
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has adheredperfect
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am adheringprogressive
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are adheringprogressive
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is adheringprogressive
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have been adheringperfect progressive
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has been adheringperfect progressive
Past
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adheredsimple
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had adheredperfect
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was adheringprogressive
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were adheringprogressive
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had been adheringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of adhere
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Medieval Latin adhērēre for Latin adhaerēre ( ad- ad- + haerēre “to stick, cling”), perhaps via Middle French adhérer
Explanation
If you don't want monkey droppings to adhere to the sole of your shoe, watch where you’re walking. Maybe if you'd adhere, or stick to, the zoo rules and stay on the walking path, you wouldn't have to worry about it. Adhere is from the 15th-century French verb meaning "to stick." Things that are sticky will adhere, or attach, to surfaces and stay there, whether you want them to or not; in other words, they're adhesive, an adjective that comes from the same Latin source as the French verb. When a person chooses to adhere to something, it is more of a choice to stick with it or agree to abide by rules or guidelines. You can also adhere by being loyal, as when you adhere to the high moral standards or behavior expected of some organization.
Vocabulary lists containing adhere
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
With regards to delays caused by severe weather, Fifa has no power to make its own rules - it must adhere to the advice of local authorities.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Federal Reserve banks and their branches observe the holiday, and most commercial banks adhere to the Federal Reserve’s holiday schedule.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Outbound investment should adhere to the "overall national security concept", the regulations state, while aiming to "balance domestic and international considerations".
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
“We have to adhere to all of the same laws that these facilities would have to adhere to if they were on private land,” Waksman said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
She, too, has a schedule to adhere to.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
Sable maintains it has fully repaired the pipelines and that the company adheres to stringent safety precautions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Kirklees Council said it now adheres to "the highest modern standards of safety in managing and monitoring asbestos in our buildings as part of a robust asbestos management plan".
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
It also adheres to a strict privacy policy and has passed multiple third-party audits.
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2026
At hearings, they insist that the department adheres to high standards of professionalism and good-faith compliance.
From Slate ● Feb. 18, 2026
It has, to be sure, linkages of various kinds, arrangements with outside universities for certain graduate programs, and it adheres delicately, somewhat ambiguously, to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute just up the street.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
It was sent to multiple media outlets, including a local TV station which reportedly adhered to a police request not to disclose its contents.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
“I think one of the jobs of universities in America is to understand, have a balanced approach, understand the guardrails and the safeguards that need to be adhered to as AI proliferates.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
The vice president adhered to Biden’s admonition that there be “no daylight” between the two of them as she campaigned for president after he withdrew from the race.
From Salon ● May 5, 2026
Some members haven’t always adhered to the group’s quotas, and have at times been critical of Saudi Arabia’s approach to market management—whereby it adjusts production to influence oil prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026
Some fur and a nubbin of something pink and pulpy still adhered to the bottom of his water bottle, I noticed when he raised it to his lips.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
However researchers say there is not a process to evaluate whether schools are fully adhering to the mandate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
BlackRock will repurchase 5% of the requested shares, adhering to its stated threshold and cashing out investors prorated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
“One thing that we’ve really been adamant about is getting the schemes that the coaches put us in and adhering to those schemes,” Nneka Ogwumike said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
The statement also said that Ukrainian forces "are causing damage to military infrastructure and facilities used for military purposes, strictly adhering to the norms of international humanitarian law, laws and customs of war".
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
I didn’t see a bear, didn’t see a salamander, didn’t see foxfire, didn’t see anything actually—just perpetual dribbles and droplets of rain adhering to my glasses.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
