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 of adherence

• 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

But the study also showed that the group that received cooking lessons as part of nutrition training was significantly more likely to stick with the program than the group that did not, with a 68% adherence rate compared to 50%. — Hope Hodge Deck, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

My advice is to create detailed plans in terms of deliverables, timelines and communications, then require adherence to those plans. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 21 Sep. 2026

The emphasis is on personal choice rather than adherence to a specific religious system. — Morgan Shipley, The Conversation, 21 Sep. 2026

Overall, the Bush administration’s misguided foray reinforced in the minds of many in the Middle East a distrust of America’s allegiances, commitments, and adherence to the protocols of the Geneva Conventions, a distrust that persists to this day. — David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

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