follow Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb to travel behind, go after, come after
    • The ducklings followed their mother around the pond
    • Please follow the guide through the museum
  2. verb be later in time
    postdate.
    • Tuesday always follows Monday
  3. verb come as a logical consequence; follow logically
    fall out.
    • It follows that your assertion is false
    • the theorem falls out nicely
  4. verb travel along a certain course
    travel along.
    • follow the road
    • follow the trail
  5. verb act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes
    comply; abide by.
    • He complied with my instructions
    • You must comply or else!
    • Follow these simple rules
    • abide by the rules
  6. verb come after in time, as a result
    come after.
    • A terrible tsunami followed the earthquake
  7. verb behave in accordance or in agreement with
    conform to.
    • Follow a pattern
    • Follow my example
  8. verb be next
    • Mary plays best, with John and Sue following
  9. verb choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans
    adopt; espouse.
    • She followed the feminist movement
    • The candidate espouses Republican ideals
  10. verb to bring something about at a later time than
    • She followed dinner with a brandy
    • He followed his lecture with a question and answer period
  11. verb imitate in behavior; take as a model
    take after.
    • Teenagers follow their friends in everything
  12. verb follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something
    trace.
    • We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba
    • trace the student's progress
  13. verb follow with the eyes or the mind
    watch over; observe; watch; keep an eye on.
    • Keep an eye on the baby, please!
    • The world is watching Sarajevo
    • She followed the men with the binoculars
  14. verb be the successor (of)
    come after; succeed.
    • Carter followed Ford
    • Will Charles succeed to the throne?
  15. verb perform an accompaniment to
    accompany; play along.
    • The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano
  16. verb keep informed
    keep up; keep abreast.
    • He kept up on his country's foreign policies
  17. verb to be the product or result
    come.
    • Melons come from a vine
    • Understanding comes from experience
  18. verb accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of
    • Let's follow our great helmsman!
    • She followed a guru for years
  19. verb adhere to or practice
    • These people still follow the laws of their ancient religion
  20. verb work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function
    be.
    • He is a herpetologist
    • She is our resident philosopher
  21. verb keep under surveillance
    survey; surveil.
    • The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing
  22. verb follow in or as if in pursuit
    pursue.
    • The police car pursued the suspected attacker
    • Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life
  23. verb grasp the meaning
    • Can you follow her argument?
    • When he lectures, I cannot follow
  24. verb keep to
    stick with; stick to.
    • Stick to your principles
    • stick to the diet

WordNet

Fol"low transitive verb
Etymology
OE. foluwen, folwen, folgen, AS. folgian, fylgean, fylgan; akin to D. volgen, OHG. folgn, G. folgen, Icel. fylgja, Sw. följa, Dan. fölge, and perh. to E. folk.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Followed ; present participle & verbal noun Following
Definitions
  1. To go or come after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend.
    It waves me forth again; I'll follow it. Shak.
  2. To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute.
    I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. Ex. xiv. 17.
  3. To accept as authority; to adopt the opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as, to follow good advice.
    Approve the best, and follow what I approve. Milton.
    Follow peace with all men. Heb. xii. 14.
    It is most agreeable to some men to follow their reason; and to others to follow their appetites. J. Edwards.
  4. To copy after; to take as an example.
    We had rather follow the perfections of them whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we love. Hooker.
  5. To succeed in order of time, rank, or office.
  6. To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise.
  7. To watch, as a receding object; to keep the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a course of thought or argument.
    He followed with his eyes the flitting shade. Dryden.
  8. To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
    O, had I but followed the arts! Shak.
    O Antony! I have followed thee to this. Shak.
    Syn.- To pursue; chase; go after; attend; accompany; succeed; imitate; copy; embrace; maintain. - To Follow, Pursue. To follow (v.t.) denotes simply to go after; to pursue denotes to follow with earnestness, and with a view to attain some definite object; as, a hound pursues the deer. So a person follows a companion whom he wishes to overtake on a journey; the officers of justice pursue a felon who has escaped from prison.
Fol"low intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To go or come after; -- used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to imitate. Syn.- To Follow, Succeed, Ensue. To follow (v.i.) means simply to come after; as, a crowd followed. To succeed means to come after in some regular series or succession; as, day succeeds to day, and night to night. To ensue means to follow by some established connection or principle of sequence. As wave follows wave, revolution succeeds to revolution; and nothing ensues but accumulated wretchedness.

Webster 1913