adherence

noun

ad·​her·​ence ad-ˈhir-ən(t)s 

əd-

1

: the act, action, or quality of adhering

adherence of paint to wood

2

: steady or faithful attachment : fidelity

adherence to a political party

Synonyms

• adhesion
• cling

Examples of adherence in a Sentence

you'd think these refrigerator magnets would have better adherence—they fall off every time I open the door

adherence to convention requires that the couple send out formal wedding invitations

Recent Examples on the Web

Solution: Compliance software ensures adherence to trade rules. —Eric Youngstrom, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

Yet experts say the persistent steps to raise output are part of long-term efforts to crowd out US shale companies as well as to maintain adherence to national quotas within the grouping, all while addressing US President Donald Trump’s calls for lower oil prices. —semafor.com, 7 July 2025

Slightly more than half of those surveyed said a successful democracy is one that’s adaptable and has the capacity for change, while nearly half said success stems from adherence to long-standing principles. —Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025

Amazon has introduced a stricter performance review process that incorporates adherence to the company’s 16 Leadership Principles (LPs) into employee evaluations, marking the first time these principles are formally embedded as a core metric in reviews. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French adherance, aerdaunce, aherdance "act of adhering, faction, supporters," borrowed from Medieval Latin adhaerentia, going back to Late Latin, "act of adhering," derivative of Latin adhaerent-, adhaerens, present participle of adhaerēre "to adhere"

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for adherence

• appearance
• coherence
• preclearance
• clearance
• disappearance
• incoherence
• interference
• perseverance
• reappearance
• noninterference

Kids Definition

adherence

noun

ad·​her·​ence ad-ˈhir-ən(t)s 

əd-

1

: the action or quality of adhering

2

: steady or faithful attachment

adherence to the truth