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.
Shein will buy Everlane from majority owner L Catterton for $100 million, according to a deal signed Saturday, Puck reported.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Places where “a resurgent terror threat is the reality,” according to the strategy, include West Africa, the Sahel region, Sudan and Somalia.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
The painting, which came from the private collection of media magnate SI Newhouse, is also now the fourth most expensive artwork ever sold at auction, according to ARTnews.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
However, investigators with Catalonia's regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, along with prosecutors and the court, reopened the investigation in October 2025 after citing inconsistencies in Jonathan Andic's testimony, according to the reports.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
“We will convene in twenty-one days, to grant you full-fledged Witch status, or for your punishment, which, according to the Oracle...”
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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.
