following

[fol-oh-ing]

noun

1. a body of followers, attendants, adherents, etc.

2. the body of admirers, attendants, patrons, etc., of someone or something.

   That television show has a large following.

3. the following, that which comes immediately after, as pages, lines, etc..

   See the following for a list of exceptions.

adjective

1. that follows or moves in the same direction.

   a following wind.

2. that comes after or next in order or time; ensuing.

   the following day.

3. that is now to follow; now to be mentioned, described, related, or the like.

   Check the following report for details.

following

/ ˈfɒləʊɪŋ /

adjective

1. 1. (prenominal) about to be mentioned, specified, etc

      the following items

   2. ( as noun )

      will the following please raise their hands?

2. (of winds, currents, etc) moving in the same direction as the course of a vessel

noun

1. a group of supporters or enthusiasts

   he attracted a large following wherever he played

preposition

1. as a result of

   he was arrested following a tip-off

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

• nonfollowing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of following¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, following is from the Middle English word folwing. See follow, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

“The first verse is about maybe reconsidering some of my assumptions and making a decision to stop following the crowd,” he explains.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The following year, an appraiser Ver hired to value his companies asked him in an email to provide the number of Bitcoins he owned when he expatriated.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Kansas state branch of the Young Republicans was disbanded following the revelations.

Read more on Salon

They top Group D by three points over Ukraine, following Monday's frustrating 2-2 draw with Iceland.

Read more on BBC

Approval of an updated code was "particularly urgent considering the spread of misinformation and misleading information on the law following the Supreme Court judgment which continues to circulate widely," she added.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• coming 
• consecutive 
• ensuing 
• subsequent 
• succeeding 
• successive