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:
Monet was so disgusted by his country’s moral descent following the Dreyfus Affair that he stopped painting recognizable French subjects, concentrating for the rest of his life instead on his water lilies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
His lawyers argued that the actor and entertainer couldn't receive a fair trial because of the publicity following the Dispatches programme.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Motorists can expect the following work schedule on Friday night:
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
He cites the following numbers for the hyperscalers, which speak for themselves: AI capex was $239 billion in 2024 and will be $1.3 trillion in 2027.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
The following evening, the three doctors met the two sisters for a series of examinations.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Some have garnered followings across social media and attracted loyal readers to their blogs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
He has recruited young politicians with large online followings, including Ana Elisa, a 21-year-old newly elected lawmaker from Minas Gerais state who has millions of followers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
While countless influencers offer tips for growing online audiences, little training exists for how to actually deal with managing the stress of having large followings.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
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
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
