following
Americannoun
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followings
plural
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
Ratcliffe, one of Trump’s closest aides, was the latest U.S. official to travel to Moscow following several visits by Steve Witkoff, a U.S. envoy for Ukraine-Russia peace talks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Hittner’s decision came down on the same day Parton, the 80-year-old legendary songwriter, actor and businesswoman, died following a brief battle with cancer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
"I am delighted that the Speaker of the House of Commons has confirmed that this portrait of Ann Widdecombe will be on show in Parliament, following her tragic death earlier this year," Grant said.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
At the same time, legal experts who have been following the proceedings note that the company might also have been genuinely worried about losing.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
Duane twisted his neck around, following Magic’s sudden departure, watching the whole unexpected episode unravel before his eyes in slow motion.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
In the same way that regional brands like Shake Shack and In-N-Out have maintained cult followings for their novelty, Cane’s has no doubt benefited from the same kind of rarefied air.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
As well as putting out videos on his own accounts on X and TikTok, he has sought to broaden his audience by appearing on entertainment channels run by creators with large followings.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Influencers with large followings can still wield power as brand ambassadors, much like traditional entertainment celebrities do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
"Athletes have been taking to social media and using it ambitiously to cultivate followings, to strike brand deals, to make money, to leverage their popularity."
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
The different Nationalist groups, the “Buy Black!” forces, and others like that; dozens of their step- ladder orators were trying to increase their followings.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
