adhere

[ ad-heer ]

verb (used without object)

, ad·hered, ad·her·ing.

1. to stay attached; stick fast; cleave; cling (usually followed by to ):

   The mud adhered to his shoes.

   Antonyms: loosen, part

2. Physics, Chemistry. (of two or more dissimilar substances) to be united by a molecular force acting in the area of contact.
3. to be devoted in support or allegiance; be attached as a follower or upholder (usually followed by to ):

   to adhere to a party.

4. to hold closely or firmly (usually followed by to ):

   to adhere to a plan.

5. Obsolete. to be consistent.

verb (used with object)

, ad·hered, ad·her·ing.

1. to cause to adhere; make stick:

   Glue will adhere the tiles to the wallboard.

adhere

/ ədˈhɪə /

verb

1. usually foll by to to stick or hold fast
2. foll by to to be devoted (to a political party, cause, religion, etc); be a follower (of)
3. foll by to to follow closely or exactly

   adhere to the rules

Usage

See adhesion

Derived Forms

• adˈherence, noun

Other Words From

• ad·her·a·ble adjective
• ad·her·er noun
• pre·ad·here verb (used without object) preadhered preadhering

Word History and Origins

Origin of adhere¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Medieval Latin adhērēre for Latin adhaerēre ( ad- ad- + haerēre “to stick, cling”), perhaps via Middle French adhérer

Word History and Origins

Origin of adhere¹

C16: via Medieval Latin adhērēre from Latin adhaerēre to stick to

Synonym Study

See stick ².

Example Sentences

Currently, around one in four adults struggle to afford their prescribed medicine, while about three in ten don't adhere to prescriptions due to cost, according to the health policy research group KFF.

From Salon

Earnest and genuine in its storytelling, it's populated with fully realized characters who only somewhat adhere to Schur’s closet of personality types.

From Salon

The patch is a soft and stretchy device, about the size of a postage stamp, that adheres to the skin.

From Science Daily

Washington, D.C., in July introduced legislation that aimed to require tech companies to adhere to strengthened privacy provisions regarding the collection, sharing, use or sale of consumer health data.

From Los Angeles Times

California voters are heavily Democratic and a high minimum wage generally aligns with left-wing values, but voters on both sides of the aisle didn’t adhere to typical party-line trends when it came to Proposition 32.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• comply
• heed
• obey
• observe
• stand by