adhere
Americanverb (used without object)
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adheres,
present (3rd person singular)
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adhered,
past participle, past
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adhering
present participle
-
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)
-
adheres,
present (3rd person singular)
-
adhered,
past participle, past
-
adhering
present participle
verb
-
(usually foll by to) to stick or hold fast
-
(foll by to) to be devoted (to a political party, cause, religion, etc); be a follower (of)
-
(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
-
had adheredperfect
-
was adheringprogressive
-
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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The Book Thief
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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:
Traditionally, Japanese convenience stores have also required workers to adhere to relatively conservative dress codes, including bans on certain hair dyes and large earrings.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Many presidents adhere to this norm: My study shows that between 94% and 100% of people pardoned by George H.W.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
It also requires that they adhere to safety standards established by the National Fire Protection Assn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
"The United States government expects all personnel to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, and we take these allegations seriously," embassy officials said in a statement.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
The slight had been a way of punishing her for her militancy and her refusal to adhere to the more moderate approach of the National American Woman Suffrage Association.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
The model performed poorly on tests measuring alignment, or how well the model adheres to what humans would like it to do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
The regulatory change must first go through a review to ensure it adheres to state law before it can take effect.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
"Our nation currently adheres to the 'three non-nuclear principles,'" she said in response to a direct question from Tanaka, without discussing what she might do next.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
"However, Channel 4 ensures any version it transmits of acquired programmes adheres to the Ofcom Broadcasting Code."
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
This church adheres to many of the strict practices also promoted by Orthodox Judaism and has somewhere around forty million followers, such as Rameel and Isadora Desta of Addis Ababa.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
In the months since we began working with our financial adviser, I’ve mostly adhered to the plan and taken the prescribed actions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The stock market hasn’t adhered to this pattern this year, however.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
And which players they may not have been able to afford if they had adhered to the regulations.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
The day was sticky enough that the plastic adhered to my bare shoulder.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
"These rules are to be adhered to and followed at all times. They have served your sisters and will serve you well," she says at last.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
This legislative body needs to deliver results, not fail while adhering to a prohibitive process.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
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
U.S. stocks stumbled on Wednesday, adhering to a long tradition of weak performance in the aftermath of a new Federal Reserve chair’s first meeting at the helm of the central bank.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
