fol·low·ing
ˈfä-lə-wiŋ 
1
: being next in order or time
the following day
2
: listed or shown next
trains will leave at the following times
: subsequent to
following the lecture tea was served
Synonyms
Examples of following in a Sentence
Adjective
She found a good job, and moved into a new house the following year.
We met again the following day.
Trains will leave at the following times: 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m.
If you have questions or comments, please write to us at the following address: P.O. Box 234,….
Noun
The band has a large and devoted following in Japan.
The movement quickly gained a following among young people.
Preposition
Following the lecture, refreshments were served.
We were tired for a few days following our trip.
Recent Examples on the Web
Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024
Alabama reached the top of the college football world in Saban's third season with a perfect 14-0 season capped off with a win in the BCS National Championship Game against Texas, and remained a national championship contender in every following season.
—USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024
The most popular political party in Thailand won its following last year, and the ire of the conservative establishment, by campaigning to end military rule and to weaken the draconian law that prohibits criticism of the country’s monarchy.
—Muktita Suhartono, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024
Keith Lee has been known for his straightforward and blunt food reviews on TikTok — content that’s built him a following 14.5 million deep, and dozens of small business owners have credited him with saving their restaurants.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023
Condor was seen in a following shot posing with her hands in her pockets beside her actor beau in the same hallway.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 9 Oct. 2023
Signifying the passage of time, the text updated with each following year, laid over shots of the couple dancing at their evening wedding reception at Royal Lodge, a formal portrait in their wedding best and smiling for a selfie.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 Oct. 2023
There will be five additional stores opening in 2026 and five stores each following year.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2023
This set has developed such a following online, it's earned more than 11,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.
—Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 18 Aug. 2023
Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2024
Curtis Hill has found a new following among the COVID activist-grassroots, after his severe fall from grace due to groping allegations.
—The Indianapolis Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Within a month, Lauren was creating political content regularly on TikTok, building a large following primarily by covering minor presidential candidates.
—Meryl Kornfield, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Hundreds of national and local election denial groups were formed, and many of them amassed huge followings on social media platforms like Telegram.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 8 Apr. 2024
The precision, the continuous following over 1.8 kilometers until the three cars were totally destroyed and all the members inside those three.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
CBDistillery CBDistillery cannabis has a loyal following of people who swear by their CBD oil.
—Cbd Scout, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Her pursuit of joy, coupled with maintaining balance, has not only garnered her an extensive following but has also afforded her the opportunity for collaborations with industry giants such as Samsung, Bose, and Fender.
—Dr. Brittany Chambers, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Other accounts that were previously verified but had smaller followings, including many journalists, academics and other experts in their fields, have not been restored to their former blue check status.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Miller got hit in the back in the second half of Thursday night’s loss to Milwaukee and was still sore following pregame warmups in Philadelphia, causing the Hornets to hold him out and go with Seth Curry in his place, giving Curry his first career start with his hometown team.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Mar. 2024
Alabama reached the top of the college football world in Saban's third season with a perfect 14-0 season capped off with a win in the BCS National Championship Game against Texas, and remained a national championship contender in every following season.
—USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024
The most popular political party in Thailand won its following last year, and the ire of the conservative establishment, by campaigning to end military rule and to weaken the draconian law that prohibits criticism of the country’s monarchy.
—Muktita Suhartono, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024
Keith Lee has been known for his straightforward and blunt food reviews on TikTok — content that’s built him a following 14.5 million deep, and dozens of small business owners have credited him with saving their restaurants.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023
Condor was seen in a following shot posing with her hands in her pockets beside her actor beau in the same hallway.
—Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 9 Oct. 2023
Signifying the passage of time, the text updated with each following year, laid over shots of the couple dancing at their evening wedding reception at Royal Lodge, a formal portrait in their wedding best and smiling for a selfie.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 12 Oct. 2023
There will be five additional stores opening in 2026 and five stores each following year.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2023
This set has developed such a following online, it's earned more than 11,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.
—Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 18 Aug. 2023
Noun
Tens of millions of people is not really a cult following.
—Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2024
Curtis Hill has found a new following among the COVID activist-grassroots, after his severe fall from grace due to groping allegations.
—The Indianapolis Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Within a month, Lauren was creating political content regularly on TikTok, building a large following primarily by covering minor presidential candidates.
—Meryl Kornfield, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Hundreds of national and local election denial groups were formed, and many of them amassed huge followings on social media platforms like Telegram.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 8 Apr. 2024
The precision, the continuous following over 1.8 kilometers until the three cars were totally destroyed and all the members inside those three.
—ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
CBDistillery CBDistillery cannabis has a loyal following of people who swear by their CBD oil.
—Cbd Scout, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
Her pursuit of joy, coupled with maintaining balance, has not only garnered her an extensive following but has also afforded her the opportunity for collaborations with industry giants such as Samsung, Bose, and Fender.
—Dr. Brittany Chambers, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Other accounts that were previously verified but had smaller followings, including many journalists, academics and other experts in their fields, have not been restored to their former blue check status.
—Kat Tenbarge, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'following.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing following
Dictionary Entries Near following
Cite this Entry
“Following.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/following. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
following
1 of 3 adjective
fol·low·ing
ˈfäl-ə-wiŋ
1
: being next in order or time
the following day
2
: listed or shown next
following
2 of 3 noun
: a group of followers
following
3 of 3 preposition
: immediately after
More from Merriam-Webster on following
Nglish: Translation of following for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of following for Arabic Speakers
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