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

Clark attended an elementary and a middle school in person at the district, but following the pandemic his family enrolled him online schooling full time, Canning said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

Meridian Hill Park, also known to locals as Malcolm X Park following the Black nationalist leader's assassination in 1965, has been undergoing major renovations for years.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

The following year, Texas regulators rejected NextEra’s bid for Oncor, one of the largest electricity transmission businesses in the country that at the time was being sold as part of a bankruptcy case.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

He may have been referring to the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, for which Russian gas giant Gazprom and the China National Petroleum Corporation reportedly signed a preliminary deal following years of stalled negotiations.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

“See how Greg struts around like he owns the forest? Well, any animal who doesn’t know better buys into that lie. And there’s Dot, always following, trying to feel important too.”

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

Related Words

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