following
Americannoun
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a body of followers, attendants, adherents, etc.
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the body of admirers, attendants, patrons, etc., of someone or something.
That television show has a large following.
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the following, that which comes immediately after, as pages, lines, etc..
See the following for a list of exceptions.
adjective
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(prenominal) about to be mentioned, specified, etc
the following items
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( as noun )
will the following please raise their hands?
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(of winds, currents, etc) moving in the same direction as the course of a vessel
noun
preposition
Usage
The use of following to mean as a result of is very common in journalism, but should be avoided in other kinds of writing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of following
First recorded in 1250–1300, following is from the Middle English word folwing. See follow, -ing 1, -ing 2
Explanation
Following means "coming immediately after," as in: "My birthday was Monday. The following day, I returned the following gifts: a purple cowboy hat, a stuffed aardvark, and huge rubber duckie." To follow is to go after. If you’re watching a TV show, when it’s over you might stay on the couch and watch the following show. As a noun, following can refer to a group of fans or a bunch of people who follow someone in the sense of believing in them. A band might have a large following, and the leader of a cult also has a devoted following. On tests, you're likely to see following used to introduce information or answer choices, as in "Which of the following triangles is an isosceles triangle."
Vocabulary lists containing following
STAAR Grade 6 Reading: The Language of the Test, List 1
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Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 7
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STAAR Grade 5 Reading: The Language of the Test, List 1
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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.
In remarks following the presentation of the encyclical, Olah said that every AI lab including his operated "inside a set of incentives and constraints that can sometimes conflict with doing the right thing".
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Another factor holding back a potential Iran-deal rally: Stock markets are already at or near records following a ferocious tech-driven rally that has sent the S&P 500 up nearly 18% from its wartime low.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
Relations were severed a year later after protesters attacked Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad, following Riyadh's execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
The company also built a segment of border wall in Sunland Park, New Mexico, without following proper procedures.
From Salon • May 25, 2026
As threatened, the physicians’ letter appeared in the following day’s paper.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
