adhere
Americanverb (used without object)
-
adheres,
present (3rd person singular)
-
adhered,
past participle, past
-
adhering
present participle
-
to stay attached; stick fast; cleave; cling (usually followed byto ).
The mud adhered to his shoes.
-
Physics, Chemistry. (of two or more dissimilar substances) to be united by a molecular force acting in the area of contact.
-
to be devoted in support or allegiance; be attached as a follower or upholder (usually followed byto ).
to adhere to a party.
-
to hold closely or firmly (usually followed byto ).
to adhere to a plan.
-
Obsolete. to be consistent.
verb (used with object)
-
adheres,
present (3rd person singular)
-
adhered,
past participle, past
-
adhering
present participle
verb
-
(usually foll by to) to stick or hold fast
-
(foll by to) to be devoted (to a political party, cause, religion, etc); be a follower (of)
-
(foll by to) to follow closely or exactly
adhere to the rules
Synonym Usage
See stick 2.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
adheresimple
-
adheressimple
-
have adheredperfect
-
has adheredperfect
-
am adheringprogressive
-
are adheringprogressive
-
is adheringprogressive
-
have been adheringperfect progressive
-
has been adheringperfect progressive
Past
-
adheredsimple
-
had adheredperfect
-
was adheringprogressive
-
were adheringprogressive
-
had been adheringperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing adhere
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Book Thief
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Dangote Industries promises to adhere to stringent European Union and U.S. oil-quality and environmental standards, to ensure it can sell to either market, and says it has applied for environmental certifications.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The council’s discussion followed a story Monday in The Times which detailed how LA28 failed to adhere to the strict annual reporting requirements spelled out in the organization’s 2021 contract with the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Many presidents adhere to this norm: My study shows that between 94% and 100% of people pardoned by George H.W.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
"The United States government expects all personnel to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, and we take these allegations seriously," embassy officials said in a statement.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Sometimes bits of paper adhere to the bottom lip and the smoker, pulling them away, reveals the candied lower teeth against the pulpy gums.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
The model performed poorly on tests measuring alignment, or how well the model adheres to what humans would like it to do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
On a formal level, Cusk’s new book, “Life Of M,” closely adheres to the rigorously calibrated approach that has been so successful for her across 11 novels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
"Our nation currently adheres to the 'three non-nuclear principles,'" she said in response to a direct question from Tanaka, without discussing what she might do next.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
"However, Channel 4 ensures any version it transmits of acquired programmes adheres to the Ofcom Broadcasting Code."
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
It has, to be sure, linkages of various kinds, arrangements with outside universities for certain graduate programs, and it adheres delicately, somewhat ambiguously, to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute just up the street.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
In the months since we began working with our financial adviser, I’ve mostly adhered to the plan and taken the prescribed actions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The stock market hasn’t adhered to this pattern this year, however.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
"So yes, that is all the justice system has let all of us down, because their one job was to ensure that the sentence imposed by Judge Babington was adhered to, and it has not."
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
He squeezed Silly Putty and strictly adhered to a physical therapy regimen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
There, he adhered to the same WHO protocol, called DOTS—directly observed treatment short-course chemotherapy—that TB patients in Carabayllo followed.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
In theory, systematic funds remove the emotionality and biases of human judgment by rigorously adhering to the rules set by their models.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
Retaining that approachable, homespun persona while adhering to the sartorial conventions and expectations of Westminster will be a challenge for Burnham.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
That’s why farms emphasize safety rules for workers like wearing shoe covers and adhering to strict handwashing requirements.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
However researchers say there is not a process to evaluate whether schools are fully adhering to the mandate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Havermeyer had tiny bits of peanut brittle adhering to his lips, chin and cheeks.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
