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

These behaviors were rarely seen in the absence of cocaine, illustrating how a normally varied set of actions can become restricted to a persistent behavioral pattern, according to a press release. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026

Israeli strikes in central and southern Gaza killed two Palestinians and wounded several others, according to hospital officials. — Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026

Hegseth’s fraying ties on the Hill put him on course for a bigger headache after the election, according to interviews with a half-dozen senators as well as multiple administration officials. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 28 Sep. 2026

The rerelease grossed $26 million over the weekend and another $60 million overseas, according to studio estimates Sunday. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026

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