- present participle of adhere.
adhering
Americanadjective
-
attaching or staying attached; sticking, or causing something to stick, to something else.
She worked away with a steel scraper to loosen the adhering carpet where it had been glued to the floor.
-
devoted in allegiance; attached as a follower, supporter, or member.
Under the OECD Council decision on multinational enterprises, each adhering country must set up a National Contact Point for dispute resolution.
-
holding firmly or closely to something (often used in combination).
Respond to all employee complaints promptly and in a professional, confidential, policy-adhering manner.
noun
-
the act or fact of sticking, clinging, or holding closely or firmly to something.
We can't just call for an adhering to due process—we need to actually ensure that due process happens.
-
Chemistry, Physics. (of two or more dissimilar substances) the fact of being united by a molecular force acting in the area of contact.
The adhering of the molecules of a gas on the surface of a solid is called adsorption.
-
the fact of being devoted or attached to a person or thing as a follower, member, or supporter.
Under the law, cruising in an enemy ship intending to capture or destroy American ships is an adhering to the enemies of the United States.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adhering
First recorded in 1545–55; adher(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; adher(e) ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses
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.
The government maintains it was Velasquez who ordered the gang to begin adhering to the same rules laid down by the gang’s leadership in El Salvador.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
The statement also said that Ukrainian forces "are causing damage to military infrastructure and facilities used for military purposes, strictly adhering to the norms of international humanitarian law, laws and customs of war".
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Sheng Lu, a fashion and apparel-studies professor at the University of Delaware, said that the costs of adhering to a more environmentally friendly approach to business can add up.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
It means adhering scrupulously to the requirements of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 unless the Supreme Court decides that it is unconstitutional.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
“Would Mr. Darcy then consider the rashness of your original intention as atoned for by your obstinacy in adhering to it?”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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.
