adherent

1 of 2

noun

ad·​her·​ent ad-ˈhir-ənt How to pronounce adherent (audio)
əd-
: 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

2 of 2

adjective

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

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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.

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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
And yet, Burge added, evangelical MAGA adherents remain firmly committed, if fewer in number. Eliza Griswold, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2024 But for the younger generation of Black activists, the committee and its political adherents were soon deemed too slow and conservative. Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Sep. 2024
Adjective
Researchers separated out a group of patients who took their medication for at least a full 120 days, to make sure the difference couldn’t be chalked up to one group being more adherent than the other. Isabella Cueto, STAT, 22 May 2024 Those and other solutions will go a long way toward helping patients stay engaged with their health goals over time and remain adherent. Lutz Finger, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for adherent 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'adherent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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"

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of adherent was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near adherent

Cite this Entry

“Adherent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adherent. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

adherent

1 of 2 adjective
ad·​her·​ent ad-ˈhir-ənt How to pronounce adherent (audio)
əd-
: able or tending to adhere

adherent

2 of 2 noun
: a person who adheres to a leader, belief, or group

More from Merriam-Webster on adherent

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