adherent

noun

Definition of adherent

(Entry 1 of 2)

: one who adheres to something: such as

a : a follower of a leader, party, or profession Freud's adherents

b : a believer in or advocate especially of a particular idea or church adherents of Chrisitianity adherents of socialism

adherent

adjective

ad·her·ent | \ad-ˈhir-ənt,

əd-\

Definition of adherent (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : able or tending to adhere an adherent material

2 : connected or associated with especially by contract nations adherent to the treaty

3 : adnate

Other Words from adherent Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Stick With Adherent More Example Sentences Learn More about adherent

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Synonyms & Antonyms for adherent

Synonyms: Noun

acolyte, convert, disciple, follower, partisan (also partizan), pupil, votarist, votary

Synonyms: Adjective

adhesive, clingy, gluey, glutinous, gummy, sticky, tacky, tenacious, viscid

Antonyms: Noun

leader

Antonyms: Adjective

nonadhesive

Choose the Right Synonym for adherent

Noun

follower, adherent, disciple, partisan mean one who gives full loyalty and support to another. follower may apply to people who attach themselves either to the person or beliefs of another. an evangelist and his followers adherent suggests a close and persistent attachment. adherents to Marxism disciple implies a devoted allegiance to the teachings of one chosen as a master. disciples of Gandhi partisan suggests a zealous often prejudiced attachment. partisans of the President

Examples of adherent in a Sentence

Noun

an adherent of free trade the Flat Earth Society surely doesn't have many adherents

Adjective

the bandage is made from a mildly adherent fiber

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Dates are also popular among adherents of paleo and other diets that don’t allow traditional sweeteners. — Tara Duggan, SFChronicle.com, "Doctor drops UCSF post for a career in dates," 20 June 2018 What traditionalist movements do, in their various ways, is provide adherents with two sensations. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "The religious hunger that drives Jordan Peterson’s fandom," 1 June 2018 The concept of basic income has been gaining adherents from Europe to Africa to North America as a potential stabilizer in the face of a populist insurrection tearing at the post-World War II liberal economic order. — Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, "Free Cash to Fight Income Inequality? California City Is First in U.S. to Try," 30 May 2018 From Knox's relatively lonely effort in 2012 to Janus' potentially landmark case this year, the legal fight has gained adherents on both sides. — Richard Wolf, USA TODAY, "Anti-union challengers are on the verge of victory at Supreme Court," 8 Feb. 2018 This idea, while fun to think about and, in my view, at least somewhat attractive as a kind of aspirational future vision of the world, obviously does not have any mainstream adherents in practical American politics. — Matthew Yglesias, Vox, "The pernicious myth of “open borders”," 22 June 2018 The three-day holiday follows the end of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan when devout adherents fast from sunrise to sunset. — Amir Shah, BostonGlobe.com, "US drone kills Pakistan Taliban chief, Afghan official says," 15 June 2018 The three-day holiday follows the end of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan when devout adherents fast from sunrise to sunset. — Washington Post, "Afghan official: US drone kills Pakistan Taliban chief," 15 June 2018 Max had been a brilliant and leading organizer of the Yiddish Bund, a humane form of non-Communist leftism that attracted tens of thousands of adherents in prerevolutionary Russia, Lithuania and Poland. — Dagmar Herzog, New York Times, "Surviving Europe’s Horrendous 20th Century," 6 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adherent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for adherent

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin adhaerent-, adhaerens, going back to Latin, present participle of adhaerēre "to adhere"

Adjective

Middle English aherdaunt, adherent, borrowed from Anglo-French aheirdant, going back to Latin adhaerent-, adhaerens, present participle of adhaerēre "to adhere"

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