according to

preposition

1

: in conformity with

2

: as stated or attested by

3

: depending on

Examples of according to in a Sentence

According to rumors I've heard, he was fired for stealing from the company.

She always did everything according to the rules.

I cooked the rice according to the directions on the box.

He was paid according to how quickly he worked.

Recent Examples on the Web

Everyone was safe after the incident, according to a statement released by the organizers. —Rajeev Tyagi, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025

But Tianwen 3 needs to land even lower down, with the criteria being at least 9,840 feet (3,000 m) below notional sea level, according to a paper published in the journal Nature by scientists involved in the mission. —Andrew Jones, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025

Temperatures are expected to range from the upper 20’s to low 30’s in these areas according to the warnings, which are in effect from midnight Wednesday night. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025

Around 750,000 federal employees— including those in the Bureau of Labor Statistics — will be furloughed, according to the Congressional Budget Office. —Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acordyng to, from acordyng "agreeing" (from present participle of accorden "to accord entry 1") + to to entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for according to

• hullabaloo
• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup

Kids Definition

according to

preposition

1

: in agreement with

did everything according to the rules

2

: as stated by

according to the experts

3

: depending on

dress according to the weather