following

American  

[fol-oh-ing] / ˈfɒl oʊ ɪŋ /

noun

1. a body of followers, attendants, adherents, etc.

2. the body of admirers, attendants, patrons, etc., of someone or something.

   That television show has a large following.

3. the following, that which comes immediately after, as pages, lines, etc..

   See the following for a list of exceptions.

---

adjective

1. that follows or moves in the same direction.

   a following wind.

2. that comes after or next in order or time; ensuing.

   the following day.

3. that is now to follow; now to be mentioned, described, related, or the like.

   Check the following report for details.

following British  

/ ˈfɒləʊɪŋ /

adjective

1. 1. (prenominal) about to be mentioned, specified, etc

      the following items

   2. ( as noun )

      will the following please raise their hands?

2. (of winds, currents, etc) moving in the same direction as the course of a vessel

---

noun

1. a group of supporters or enthusiasts

   he attracted a large following wherever he played

preposition

1. as a result of

   he was arrested following a tip-off

Usage

The use of following to mean as a result of is very common in journalism, but should be avoided in other kinds of writing

Other Word Forms

• nonfollowing adjective

Etymology

Origin of following

First recorded in 1250–1300, following is from the Middle English word folwing. See follow, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Explanation

Following means "coming immediately after," as in: "My birthday was Monday. The following day, I returned the following gifts: a purple cowboy hat, a stuffed aardvark, and huge rubber duckie." To follow is to go after. If you’re watching a TV show, when it’s over you might stay on the couch and watch the following show. As a noun, following can refer to a group of fans or a bunch of people who follow someone in the sense of believing in them. A band might have a large following, and the leader of a cult also has a devoted following. On tests, you're likely to see following used to introduce information or answer choices, as in "Which of the following triangles is an isosceles triangle."

Example Sentences

Apple shares rose 2.4% in premarket trade following a surge in the company’s iPhone sales.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

The following year, the State Department renamed the gathering after a now-retired U.S. nuclear physicist who helped advise the Iran deal negotiations.

From Slate • May 1, 2026

The 41-year-old has previously said that surgery had prevented her from having her leg amputated following the incident.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Alphabet surged to a new all-time high following earnings, and Amazon was flat.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

But she seemed to be following his orders.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• coming
• consecutive
• ensuing
• subsequent
• succeeding
• successive