follower

American  

[fol-oh-er] / ˈfɒl oʊ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that follows.

2. a person who follows another in regard to their ideas or belief; disciple or adherent.

   Synonyms:

   supporter

   Antonyms:

   foe, enemy, adversary, opponent

3. a person who imitates, copies, or takes as a model or ideal.

   He was little more than a follower of current modes.

4. an attendant, servant, or retainer.

5. a person who follows or subscribes to another's posts on a social media website.

   He spent hours figuring out how to get more followers on Twitter.

6. British Informal. a boyfriend or suitor, especially of a maidservant.

7. Machinery. a part receiving motion from or following the movements of another part, especially a cam.

8. Engineering, Building Trades. a concrete form attached to the head of a timber pile to permit casting of a concrete cap or pier.

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follower British  

/ ˈfɒləʊə /

noun

1. a person who accepts the teachings of another; disciple; adherent

   a follower of Marx

2. an attendant or henchman

3. an enthusiast or supporter, as of a sport or team

4. (esp formerly) a male admirer

5. rare a pursuer

6. a machine part that derives its motion by following the motion of another part

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Related Words

Follower, adherent, partisan refer to someone who demonstrates allegiance to a person, a doctrine, a cause, or the like. Follower often has an implication of personal relationship or of slavish acquiescence. Adherent, a more formal word, has implications of active championship of a person or a point of view. Partisan, ordinarily meaning a person prejudiced and unreasoning in adherence to a party, during World War II took on the meaning of a member of certain groups in occupied countries of Europe who carried on underground resistance to the Nazis.

Etymology

Origin of follower

First recorded before 900; Middle English folwer, Old English folgere. See follow, -er ¹

Example Sentences

After reading the rapper’s letter on Monday, some of his old followers took a “wait and see” approach.

From The Wall Street Journal

Reedy posted the videos of the encounter to his followers on X, where it has racked up tens of thousands of views.

From Los Angeles Times

The pop singer in a Monday Instagram post encouraged her followers to “turn anger into action” by calling their senators.

From Los Angeles Times

They were going to win a Grammy and gain a million followers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Internet personality Preston Stewart, who makes informational videos about war and national security topics, said that two videos he posted Monday simply disappeared while another video received zero views despite him having 1.3 million followers.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adherent
• admirer
• advocate
• backer
• believer
• client
• devotee
• disciple
• fan
• member
• participant
• patron
• supporter
• worshiper