follower

noun

fol·​low·​er ˈfä-lə-wər 

1

a

: one in the service of another : retainer

b

: one that follows the opinions or teachings of another

c

: one that imitates another

2

archaic : one that chases

3

: a sheet added to the first sheet of an indenture or other deed

4

: a machine part that receives motion from another part

5

: a spring-loaded plate at the bottom of a firearm's magazine that angles cartridges for proper insertion into the chamber

6

: fan, devotee

7

: one who subscribes to a feed especially on social media

His account has thousands of followers.

Synonyms of follower

• adherent
• disciple

Choose the Right Synonym for follower

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 follower in a Sentence

The party drew most of its followers from among young people.

The band has a large group of followers.

He had a reputation of being a follower, not a leader.

Recent Examples on the Web

Kim Kardashian promotes moon landing conspiracy The conspiracy theory is one that billionaire Kim Kardashian, a major celebrity and entrepreneur with hundreds of millions of social media followers, recently amplified. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025

One example is a creator who goes by Dedrea and has under 10,000 followers on TikTok. —Sirena Bergman, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

One of Siddiqui’s followers replied with the song title, and Kripalani ended up listening to the song on repeat for a week. —Sara Merican, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025

After posting a video to TikTok, Powers says a follower reached out with a link to buy a print that appears above the TV in the movie. —Natalie Wu, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing follower

• camp follower

Kids Definition

follower

noun

fol·​low·​er ˈfäl-ə-wər 

1

: attendant entry 2 sense 1

2

: supporter, adherent

3

: disciple sense 1

4

: one who subscribes to a feed especially on social media