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following

[fol-oh-ing]
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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.
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Origin of following

First recorded in 1250–1300, following is from the Middle English word folwing. See follow, -ing1, -ing2
Related formsnon·fol·low·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for followings

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Certainly this freedom applies only to the case of kings or princes with followings of their own.

    The Heroic Age

    H. Munro Chadwick

British Dictionary definitions for followings

following

adjective
    1. (prenominal)about to be mentioned, specified, etcthe 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 enthusiastshe attracted a large following wherever he played
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preposition
  1. as a result ofhe was arrested following a tip-off
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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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for followings

following

n.

c.1300, verbal noun from follow (v.). Meaning "a body of disciples or retainers" is from mid-15c.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper