following

American  

[fol-oh-ing] / ˈfɒl oʊ ɪŋ /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

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."

Example Sentences

Economists’ forecasts from a WSJ survey on the outlook for growth, inflation, oil prices and recession risks following the Iran war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The department-store chain, which was founded in 1923 and gained a cult following in the 1990s for showcasing cutting-edge designers, closed all its U.S. stores in 2020 after filing for bankruptcy for a second time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

It comes midway through the public consultation called by the government over whether to ban social media for under-16s, following similar measures introduced in Australia.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

In the company’s most recent quarterly earnings report, released in February, the firm reported lower-than-expected revenue following broad down trends in digital asset prices.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Irene had mentioned that she had a date with her fiancé following the lesson—a sunset picnic in the hills—and that her brother was to bring the food sent by their mother.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

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