adhering

American

[ad-heer-ing] / ædˈhɪər ɪŋ /

adjective

attaching or staying attached; sticking, or causing something to stick, to something else.

She worked away with a steel scraper to loosen the adhering carpet where it had been glued to the floor.
devoted in allegiance; attached as a follower, supporter, or member.

Under the OECD Council decision on multinational enterprises, each adhering country must set up a National Contact Point for dispute resolution.
holding firmly or closely to something (often used in combination).

Respond to all employee complaints promptly and in a professional, confidential, policy-adhering manner.

noun

the act or fact of sticking, clinging, or holding closely or firmly to something.

We can't just call for an adhering to due process—we need to actually ensure that due process happens.
Chemistry, Physics. (of two or more dissimilar substances) the fact of being united by a molecular force acting in the area of contact.

The adhering of the molecules of a gas on the surface of a solid is called adsorption.
the fact of being devoted or attached to a person or thing as a follower, member, or supporter.

Under the law, cruising in an enemy ship intending to capture or destroy American ships is an adhering to the enemies of the United States.

Other Word Forms

nonadhering adjective
unadhering adjective

Etymology

Origin of adhering

First recorded in 1545–55; adher(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; adher(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

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.

Cease your practice of copying tour pros, who have turned golf into survival of the finickiest by adhering to preshot routines that violate loitering laws in most states.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Amazon is adhering to those same rules in its presentation, while adding the data-driven analysis it has used in other sports coverage.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The club feel adhering to the Premier League and Uefa financial rules is unfair.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

It likely contains guidelines around dress code, and if your boss isn’t adhering to them, you can go to HR.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 28, 2026

He began to attack the ANC for not adhering to the agreements that we had made with the government.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023