- present participle of accord.
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)
-
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.
Within Utah alone, rock glaciers may contain about 1 gigaton of water, or approximately 815,000 acre-feet, according to the researchers.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
The Israeli military reported 72 deaths, and at least 50 civilians have died, according to news reports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
She knew CPR and intensive-care procedures and, according to her husband, was physically fit.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
French consumer prices were 2.7% higher than a year earlier, up from an annual inflation rate of 2.4% in July, according to European Union-harmonized data from the country’s statistics agency Insee published Friday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
But we knew when to rap ‘yes’ or ‘no’ according to certain signs she made us during the séance.
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.
