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 Christianity 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, epigone, follower, liege man, partisan (also partizan), pupil, votarist, votary

Synonyms: Adjective

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

Antonyms: Noun

coryphaeus, 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

In those communities, adherents can find one of the most powerful antidotes to the feeling of being left behind by society: a sense of belonging to something powerful. — New York Times, "On Social Media’s Fringes, Growing Extremism Targets Women," 9 May 2018 For 2018, the goal of these groups is to expand their reach on campuses, force showdowns over free speech, generate more publicity and win over more adherents. — Joe Heim, Washington Post, "Hate groups make unprecedented push to recruit on college campuses," 12 Jan. 2018 Another fellow adherent, a lawyer, told me that embracing the teaching caused her to see not only her spouse, but everything, as sacred. — Ashley Mcguire, WSJ, "The Controversial Text That Saved Me," 26 July 2018 Captain James Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura, under mind-control by aliens in a totally ridiculous plot involving adherents to Plato, kiss for a few fleeting moments. — Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica, "50 years ago, Star Trek’s history was sealed with the Uhura-Kirk kiss," 22 Nov. 2018 But the original version has long been snubbed by Ferrari adherents for its relatively high production numbers, small engine and anemic 192 horsepower. — Hannah Elliott, latimes.com, "In car-obsessed L.A. area, David Lee spent $1 million to update an infamous Ferrari," 4 May 2018 Partch is a biochemist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who specializes in circadian rhythms, which is not only an actual research field, but one whose adherents won the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. — Jacqueline Detwiler, Popular Mechanics, "Why You Should Have Heart Surgery in the Afternoon," 26 Dec. 2018 The discussion thread touched on a number of topics, including the ways in which the Internet gives new life to conspiracy theories and allows adherents of said theories to organize around them. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Talk amongst yourselves: 2018’s most-commented stories on Ars," 24 Dec. 2018 Many natural-law adherents believe that this higher law originates from God rather than humanistic values, although not all versions of the philosophy are explicitly religious. — Jess Bravin, WSJ, "Justice Neil Gorsuch’s Speech to Catholic Group Closed to the Media," 18 Oct. 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 "toadhere"

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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