adherent

noun

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

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Examples: adherent in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Stick With adherent

Definition of adherent

: 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

See adherent defined for English-language learners

Examples of adherent in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of adherent from the Web

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
This wiggle room has given hope to adherents of alternative gravity theories, though such folks remain in the minority.

— mike wall, NBC News, "Einstein's theory of relativity passes its toughest test yet," 5 July 2018
Toughest of all, however, is the matter of blasphemy, as it might be interpreted by some conservative adherents of Islam.

— charles desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, "Talepasand takes on pleasure, religion and Iran at Jack Fischer Gallery," 5 June 2018
Ranching and farming groups, as well as some militia adherents, have pushed for clemency to send a signal that federal officials won't engage in overreach out West.

— chicagotribune.com, "Trump fixates on pardons, could soon give reprieve to 63-year-old woman after meeting with Kim Kardashian," 5 June 2018
Brigham Young’s adherents came here to grow crops, primarily cotton—hence its reputation as Utah’s Dixie.

— jake bullinger, WIRED, "America's Fastest-Growing Urban Area Has a Water Problem," 22 May 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.

Stick With adherent

Just as tape adheres to paper, a person may adhere to a cause, a faith, or a belief. Thus, you may be an adherent of Hinduism, an adherent of environmentalism, or an adherent of the Republican Party. A plan for cutting taxes always attracts adherents easily, regardless of what the cuts may result in.

Origin and Etymology of adherent

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

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First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

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adherent Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of adherent

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

adherent

adjective ad·her·ent \ ad-ˈhir-ənt , əd- \

Definition of adherent

1 : able or tending to adhere

an adherent material

2 : connected or associated with especially by contract

nations adherent to the treaty

3 : adnate

—

adherently

adverb

See adherent defined for kids

Examples of adherent in a Sentence

the bandage is made from a mildly adherent fiber

Origin and Etymology of adherent

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year