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

The industry's value balloons to at least $3 billion when counting money spent by private schools and in higher education, according to another report from data analytics firm Omdia. —Tonya Simpson, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025

Woldwide, global greenhouse gas emissions increased by 51% between 1990 to 2021, according to the World Resources Institute. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025

NewsNation reached a major milestone on Sunday, outperforming CNN and MSNBC in total viewers and the key advertising demographic of adults aged 25-54 for six consecutive hours, the first time the network has achieved that feat, according to Nielsen data. —Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 2025

Beyond that, both Bouchard and Morrissey contribute much more to shots and scoring chances, according to All Three Zones tracking data. —The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 24 Sep. 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