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

Ninety-day mail order can boost adherence and cut abandonment rates by nearly 40%. —John Samuels, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

Other projects demand a mash-up of genres to heighten rhythm, deepen thematic concerns, or reflect a character’s obsessions in a way that a strict adherence to one genre can’t. —Matthew Clark Davison, Literary Hub, 25 July 2025

The startup, which tracks adherence to frameworks such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001, boasts more than 12,000 customers. —Jordan Novet, CNBC, 23 July 2025

Inspire helps people decide whether to invest in companies based on its evaluation of the companies’ adherence to biblical values. —Sarah Cutler updated July 22, Idaho Statesman, 22 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