adhere

American  

[ad-heer] / ædˈhɪər /

verb (used without object)

adheres, present (3rd person singular) adhered, past participle, past adhering present participle

1. to stay attached; stick fast; cleave; cling (usually followed byto ).

   The mud adhered to his shoes.

   Antonyms:

   loosen, part

2. Physics, Chemistry. (of two or more dissimilar substances) to be united by a molecular force acting in the area of contact.

3. to be devoted in support or allegiance; be attached as a follower or upholder (usually followed byto ).

   to adhere to a party.

4. to hold closely or firmly (usually followed byto ).

   to adhere to a plan.

5. Obsolete. to be consistent.

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verb (used with object)

adheres, present (3rd person singular) adhered, past participle, past adhering present participle

1. to cause to adhere; make stick.

   Glue will adhere the tiles to the wallboard.

adhere British  

/ ədˈhɪə /

verb

1. (usually foll by to) to stick or hold fast

2. (foll by to) to be devoted (to a political party, cause, religion, etc); be a follower (of)

3. (foll by to) to follow closely or exactly

   adhere to the rules

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Synonym Usage

See stick ².

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• adherence
  noun
• adherer
  noun
• preadhere
  verb (used without object)
• adherable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• adhering
  present
• adhered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• adhere
  simple
• adheres
  simple
• have adhered
  perfect
• has adhered
  perfect
• am adhering
  progressive
• are adhering
  progressive
• is adhering
  progressive
• have been adhering
  perfect progressive
• has been adhering
  perfect progressive

Past

• adhered
  simple
• had adhered
  perfect
• was adhering
  progressive
• were adhering
  progressive
• had been adhering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will adhere
  simple
• will have adhered
  perfect
• will be adhering
  progressive
• will have been adhering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of adhere

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Medieval Latin adhērēre for Latin adhaerēre ( ad- ad- + haerēre “to stick, cling”), perhaps via Middle French adhérer

Explanation

If you don't want monkey droppings to adhere to the sole of your shoe, watch where you’re walking. Maybe if you'd adhere, or stick to, the zoo rules and stay on the walking path, you wouldn't have to worry about it. Adhere is from the 15th-century French verb meaning "to stick." Things that are sticky will adhere, or attach, to surfaces and stay there, whether you want them to or not; in other words, they're adhesive, an adjective that comes from the same Latin source as the French verb. When a person chooses to adhere to something, it is more of a choice to stick with it or agree to abide by rules or guidelines. You can also adhere by being loyal, as when you adhere to the high moral standards or behavior expected of some organization.

Example Sentences

Traditional industrial robots such as welders, palletizers or loaders are “deterministic,” meaning they adhere to a fixed set of rules and produce a constant result.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 4, 2026

Federal Reserve banks and their branches observe the holiday, and most commercial banks adhere to the Federal Reserve’s holiday schedule.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026

Outbound investment should adhere to the "overall national security concept", the regulations state, while aiming to "balance domestic and international considerations".

From Barron's • Jul. 1, 2026

"Kuwaiti air defenses are currently confronting hostile missile and drone attacks," the Kuwaiti Armed Forces said in a statement shared to X, asking the public to adhere to security instructions.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

Converts were required to attend weekly meetings and to adhere to a strict code of conduct.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• comply
• heed
• obey
• observe
• stand by