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
Its adherents believe that on social media and in other online spaces, only a few real people create posts, comments, and images.
—
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Yamagami won sympathy from people skeptical of church Yamagami’s case and his descriptions of his childhood brought attention to other children of Unification Church adherents, and influenced a law meant to restrict malicious donation solicitations by religious and other groups.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
The practice is popular in Germany, where some adherents follow it with almost religious devotion, the Today show said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Lawyers for the Satanic Temple argued that these restrictions conflict with the religious practices of its Hoosier adherents.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026
The movement had adherents among the student body and on the faculty at the Catholic University in Chiclayo, which has about ten thousand students, and the cathedral boasted an enormous portrait of Josemaria Escrivá, Opus Dei’s sainted founder.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
This year, the 15-day festival begins in February and will be a time for adherents to usher in a new year with a variety of cultural traditions.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Many adherents to the FIRE movement — short for financial independence, retire early — aim to save a large portion of their income in order to build a big enough investment portfolio to withdraw from in perpetuity.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
This meant adherents turned away from theology and instead focused on disparate ideological and political threats.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Yamagami won sympathy from people skeptical of church Yamagami’s case and his descriptions of his childhood brought attention to other children of Unification Church adherents, and influenced a law meant to restrict malicious donation solicitations by religious and other groups.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
The practice is popular in Germany, where some adherents follow it with almost religious devotion, the Today show said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Lawyers for the Satanic Temple argued that these restrictions conflict with the religious practices of its Hoosier adherents.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026
The movement had adherents among the student body and on the faculty at the Catholic University in Chiclayo, which has about ten thousand students, and the cathedral boasted an enormous portrait of Josemaria Escrivá, Opus Dei’s sainted founder.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026
This year, the 15-day festival begins in February and will be a time for adherents to usher in a new year with a variety of cultural traditions.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Many adherents to the FIRE movement — short for financial independence, retire early — aim to save a large portion of their income in order to build a big enough investment portfolio to withdraw from in perpetuity.
—Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2025
This meant adherents turned away from theology and instead focused on disparate ideological and political threats.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adherents
Noun
-
Hippocrates and his followers held on to their belief in natural causes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Zator hopes to take his followers along on a journey to state success.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Hippocrates and his disciples did not disbelieve in Asclepius, the god of medicine (or any other god).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
One of Blake’s disciples was a young Welsh writer who arrived in London in the 1880s and took a job trawling through a garret full of old occult books, writing descriptions for a publisher’s catalogue.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Motele, whose parents were murdered by the Nazis, escaped into the forest and joined a group of Jewish partisans.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Even the country’s most panicked partisans wouldn’t put money on Comey serving a day in prison for the serious crimes he’s charged with.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adherents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adherents. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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