as in followers
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another
the Flat Earth Society surely doesn't have many adherents
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Recent Examples of adherents
Physics Universal Love Language, the second album by Syrian-Armenian-American singer Káryyn, is tuned to 432hz, a standard that is, according to new age adherents, more in line with the hum of the universe.
—
Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026
But it’s also evolved over time and led to the formation of some religions — like Scientology, which counts many a Hollywood celebrity among its adherents — that see extraterrestrials as good or even part of a divine plan.
—Krysta Fauria, Fortune, 12 June 2026
And Trump’s domineering, loutish approach to women spoke to its adherents in a way that few, if any, of his rivals could match.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Aspiring early retirees of a more modest sort curb their ambitions considerably; the LeanFIRE subset, for example, counts adherents who are saving for subsistence, a nest egg that will cover just their basic necessities.
—Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026
Its adherents promote terrorism and sabotage to incite a race war and to bring about social collapse.
—Odette Yousef, NPR, 27 May 2026
By the early Nineties, there were enough speakers to hold the first pan-African Esperanto Congress, for which adherents flocked to Togo from surrounding West African nations.
—Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Critics say event ‘hijacked’ by Christian nationalism Critics say Rededicate 250 is shaping up to promote Christian nationalism — whose adherents typically believe that the United States was founded as and should be a Christian nation.
—Peter Smith, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Scientology is a religious group shrouded in privacy that has garnered attention for its celebrity adherents, including Tom Cruise and John Travolta.
—Joe Kottke, NBC news, 3 May 2026
Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026
But it’s also evolved over time and led to the formation of some religions — like Scientology, which counts many a Hollywood celebrity among its adherents — that see extraterrestrials as good or even part of a divine plan.
—Krysta Fauria, Fortune, 12 June 2026
And Trump’s domineering, loutish approach to women spoke to its adherents in a way that few, if any, of his rivals could match.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
Aspiring early retirees of a more modest sort curb their ambitions considerably; the LeanFIRE subset, for example, counts adherents who are saving for subsistence, a nest egg that will cover just their basic necessities.
—Joshua Rivera, Vanity Fair, 8 June 2026
Its adherents promote terrorism and sabotage to incite a race war and to bring about social collapse.
—Odette Yousef, NPR, 27 May 2026
By the early Nineties, there were enough speakers to hold the first pan-African Esperanto Congress, for which adherents flocked to Togo from surrounding West African nations.
—Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Critics say event ‘hijacked’ by Christian nationalism Critics say Rededicate 250 is shaping up to promote Christian nationalism — whose adherents typically believe that the United States was founded as and should be a Christian nation.
—Peter Smith, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
Scientology is a religious group shrouded in privacy that has garnered attention for its celebrity adherents, including Tom Cruise and John Travolta.
—Joe Kottke, NBC news, 3 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adherents
Noun
-
Chinese percussionist Xu Yang told his social media followers the form and style of the drums used on the Great Wall appeared more like a Japanese Taiko performance.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
Richards attained fame as a pioneering male supermodel in major ad campaigns by the likes of Bruce Weber, Richard Avedon, and Helmut Newton, but all along he was being extorted and exploited by Mierers and his followers to bolster (and bankroll) their shaky, pseudoscientific philosophy.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt are his overwhelmed disciples, imbued with discomfiting powers that could be key to making contact with these otherworldly guests.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
10 June 2026
-
Much of the lost information was reconstructed by Gaudí’s disciples and collaborators, who had documented his ideas in books, articles, drawings and photographs.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
The mood this time was understandably less buoyant among the Knicks partisans.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
9 June 2026
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But there's also a dynamic here where the partisans on each side justify themselves by looking at the bad examples on the other side.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adherents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adherents. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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