following

[ fol-oh-ing ]

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.

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

/ 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

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 Words From

• non·follow·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of following¹

First recorded in 1250–1300, following is from the Middle English word folwing. See follow, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Good thing: Though he’s in town to shoot a performance for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” he’s booked on a red-eye flight to Tampa tomorrow for a stadium gig with Wallen the following night.

From Los Angeles Times

In particular, the agency said it was following its operational agreement with the county which did not require it to recoup the $50.8 million.

From Los Angeles Times

The Archbishop of Canterbury is to remain in post until the new year following his resignation over his failure to report prolific child abuser John Smyth.

From BBC

Styles, Tomlinson, Horan and Malik each publicly paid tribute to their “brother” in social media posts in the days immediately following his death.

From Los Angeles Times

The BBC reported in October that an auction house in Oxfordshire had been forced to withdraw human and ancestral remains from a sale following criticism from native groups and museums.

From BBC

Related Words

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