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.
But the practice of switching clocks twice a year is uncommon elsewhere across the world, according to the Pew Research Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
The pair married on Richard Branson's private Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, according to US outlets.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The record-high net asset value of U.S. private-equity assets stuck in “zombie funds” at least a decade old at the end of 2025, according to PitchBook.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Elaine Forbes, 53, was charged Tuesday with one count of prowling on private property, two counts of lodging without an owner’s consent and one count of petty theft, according to Marin County Superior Court records.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Twenty minutes passed, when according to Leah, the raps spelled out, “We will now bid you farewell.”
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
