adhering
Americanadjective
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attaching or staying attached; sticking, or causing something to stick, to something else.
She worked away with a steel scraper to loosen the adhering carpet where it had been glued to the floor.
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devoted in allegiance; attached as a follower, supporter, or member.
Under the OECD Council decision on multinational enterprises, each adhering country must set up a National Contact Point for dispute resolution.
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holding firmly or closely to something (often used in combination).
Respond to all employee complaints promptly and in a professional, confidential, policy-adhering manner.
noun
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the act or fact of sticking, clinging, or holding closely or firmly to something.
We can't just call for an adhering to due process—we need to actually ensure that due process happens.
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Chemistry, Physics. (of two or more dissimilar substances) the fact of being united by a molecular force acting in the area of contact.
The adhering of the molecules of a gas on the surface of a solid is called adsorption.
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the fact of being devoted or attached to a person or thing as a follower, member, or supporter.
Under the law, cruising in an enemy ship intending to capture or destroy American ships is an adhering to the enemies of the United States.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adhering
First recorded in 1545–55; adher(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; adher(e) ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses
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.
Adhering to rules can help smooth out portfolio returns for most retail investors — many of whom tend to rely exclusively on fundamental research to manage risk, something few successful institutional investors do.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 5, 2025
Adhering to a new standard won’t be too difficult, he said, even if changes are required.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2025
Adhering to this metric could provide substantial environmental and societal benefits, according to a new study led by researchers with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2024
"Adhering to the rules can place one party at a disadvantage," the spokesman added.
From BBC • Oct. 3, 2023
Adhering strictly to his uncle's request, the other large stone bore no name, but on it were engraved these words: In Heaven we Know our Own.
From Quincy Adams Sawyer and Mason's Corner Folks A Picture of New England Home Life by Pidgin, Charles Felton
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.
