Definition of follow
1
: to go, proceed, or come after
- followed the guide
2 a
: to engage in as a calling or way of life : pursue
- wheat-growing is generally followed here
b
: to walk or proceed along
- follow a path
3 a
: to be or act in accordance with
- follow directions
b
: to accept as authority : obey
- followed his conscience
4 a
: to pursue in an effort to overtake
- Police followed the robbers attempting to escape.
b
: to seek to attain
- follow knowledge
5
: to come into existence or take place as a result or consequence of
- disaster followed the blunder
6 a
: to come or take place after in time, sequence, or order
- A juggling act followed the singer.
b
: to cause to be followed
- followed dinner with a liqueur
7
: to copy after : imitate
- the new building follows the facades and roof lines of the original buildings
- —Maxwell Mays
8 a
: to watch steadily
- followed the flight of the ball
b
: to keep the mind on
- follow a speech
c
: to attend closely to : keep abreast of
- followed his career with interest
d
: to understand the sense or logic of (something, such as a line of thought)
- I don't quite follow your thinking.
1
: to go or come after a person or thing in place, time, or sequence
- If one sheep goes through the gate, the rest will follow.
2
: to result or occur as a consequence, effect, or inference
- Just because he's done some bad things, does it follow that he is a bad person?
—
as follows
: as comes next
—used impersonally
- The names of the winners are as follows: Mary, James, and Sylvia.
—
follow one's nose
1
: to go in a straight or obvious course
- Just follow your nose until you get there; you can't miss it.
2
: to proceed without plan or reflection : obey one's instincts
- You don't need my advice—just follow your nose.
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follow suit
1
: to play a card of the same suit as the card led
2
: to follow an example set
- When one airline lowers its fares, the others usually follow suit.
