follow-up

[fol-oh-uhp]

noun

1. the act of following up.

2. an action or thing that serves to increase the effectiveness of a previous one, as a second or subsequent letter, phone call, or visit.

3. Also called follow. Journalism.

   1. a news story providing additional information on a story or article previously published.

   2. Also called supplementary story. Also called sidebar. a minor news story used to supplement a related story of major importance.

adjective

1. designed or serving to follow up, especially to increase the effectiveness of a previous action.

   a follow-up interview; a follow-up offer.

2. of or relating to action that follows an initial treatment, course of study, etc..

   follow-up care for mental patients; a follow-up survey.

follow up

verb

1. to pursue or investigate (a person, evidence, etc) closely

2. to continue (action) after a beginning, esp to increase its effect

noun

1. 1. something done to reinforce an initial action

   2. ( as modifier )

      a follow-up letter

2. med a routine examination of a patient at various intervals after medical or surgical treatment

Word History and Origins

Origin of follow up¹

First recorded in 1920–25; noun, adj. use of verb phrase follow up

Idioms and Phrases

Carry to completion. For example, I'm following up their suggestions with concrete proposals . Also see follow through .

Increase the effectiveness or enhance the success of something by further action. For example, She followed up her interview with a phone call . [Late 1700s]

Example Sentences

To ensure the results reflected the true effects of radiation, the researchers restricted the use of additional pain relievers, allowing only acetaminophen as needed during the four-month follow-up period.

Read more on Science Daily

This follow-up to Ms. Desai’s “The Inheritance of Loss” was two decades in the making.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Brown Sugar's follow-up, Voodoo, was eventually released in 2000, and hailed by critics as a triumph.

Read more on BBC

The minister's response to follow-up questions on women's rights in Afghanistan may not have been satisfactory.

Read more on BBC

After Watts asked follow-up questions, Porter accused Watts of being “unnecessarily argumentative,” held up her hands towards the reporter’s face and later said, “I don’t want this all on camera.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times