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follow Definition

fol·low (fäl′ō)

transitive verb

  1. to come or go after
  2. to go after in order to catch; chase; pursue
  3. to go along follow the right road
  4. to come or occur after in time, in a series, etc.
  5. to provide with something that comes after to follow praise with blame
  6. to take the place of in rank, position, etc. Monroe followed Madison as president
  7. to take up; engage in to follow a trade
  8. to come or happen as a result of disease often follows malnutrition
  9. to take as a model; act in accordance with; imitate
  10. to accept the authority of; obey to follow rules
  11. to support or advocate the ideas, opinions, etc. of
  12. to watch or listen to closely; observe to follow a conversation intently
  13. to be interested in or attentive to current developments in to follow local politics
  14. to understand the continuity or logic of do you follow me?

Etymology: ME folwen < OE folgian, akin to Ger folgen & (?) Welsh olafiad, follower

intransitive verb

  1. to come, go, or happen after or next after some thing or person in place, sequence, or time
  2. to occur as a natural or logical consequence; result

noun

  1. the act of following
  2. Billiards a shot that imparts a forward spin to the cue ball so that it continues rolling in the same direction after striking the object ball

follow Idioms

as follows

as will next be told or explained

follow out

to carry out fully or completely

follow through

  1. to continue and complete a stroke or swing after hitting or releasing the ball or puck
  2. to continue and complete an action

follow up

  1. to follow closely and persistently
  2. to carry out fully
  3. to add to the effectiveness of by doing something more
follow Synonyms

follow

v.

  1. To come after

    succeed, come next, ensue, replace, supplant, postdate, go behind, bring up the rear, tailgate, tag along*; see also succeed 2.

  2. To regulate one's action

    conform, observe, imitate, copy, take after, match, follow in the footsteps of, walk in the shoes of, mirror, reflect, follow the example of, do as, mimic, hold fast, follow suit, do like*, emulate, obey, abide by, adhere to, heed, string along, comply, be in keeping, harmonize, be consistent with, attend to, accord; see also conform.

    Antonyms disregard, neglect*, depart from.

  3. To be a follower

    serve, support, attend; see accompany 1, obey 2.

  4. To go in pursuit of

    chase, trail, track, stalk; see pursue 1.

  5. To observe

    heed, regard, keep an eye on, keep up with; see watch 1.

  6. To understand

    comprehend, catch, grasp; see understand 1.

  7. To result

    result, ensue, proceed from, spring from, come from, happen, develop, arise; see also result.

follow is the general word meaning to come or occur after, but it does not necessarily imply a causal relationship with what goes before sunshine followed by rain; ensue implies that what follows comes as a logical consequence of what preceded clouds appeared and rain ensued; succeed implies that what follows takes the place of what preceded who succeeded Polk to the presidency?; result stresses a definite relationship of cause and effect between what follows and what preceded crime that results from poverty

follow Usage Examples

Object

  • link: External links The following links will take you to external Web sites over which we have no control.
  • instruction: To watch subtitles, you need to follow the instructions that came with your set-top box.
  • sign: From Town, ring road, following signs for Leicester.
  • year: The following year the club reached the last sixteen of the FA Cup for the first time.
  • procedure: Tip: If during the following procedures you encounter a popup window that asks you to login, simply press cancel.
  • day: The following day I behaved in the same manner.

Preposition: on

  • heel: A further sweeping statement soon followed on the heels of the first.

Subject

  • lunch: A champagne reception in the Long Room was followed by lunch in the Bayley Room hosted by the headmaster.
  • reception: The lecture was followed by a reception and dinner in Univ.
  • discussion: This initial chapter is followed by a discussion of the epidemics of the middle ages and their effects upon the public order.
  • colon: The field name should be in lower-case and immediately followed by a colon.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • through: Reuters reports German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder yesterday criticized other European Union nations for failing to follow through on pledges to accept refugees from Kosovo.
  • up: I just wanted to write to give you a little bit of follow up from the course.
  • on: Will follow on from ' Introducing PowerPoint ' , acting as an intermediate/advanced session.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • up: Help determine the nature of any follow up projects.

Used with why or when

  • when: These are strictly followed when each inquiry is processed by the Registry.

Preposition: by

  • reception: The lecture was followed by a reception and dinner in Univ.
  • lunch: A champagne reception in the Long Room was followed by lunch in the Bayley Room hosted by the headmaster.
  • discussion: This initial chapter is followed by a discussion of the epidemics of the middle ages and their effects upon the public order.
  • colon: The field name should be in lower-case and immediately followed by a colon.
follow Quotes

Soldati, io esco da Roma. Chi vuole continuare la guerra contro lo straniero venga con me. Non posso offrigli ne¤ onori ne¤   stipendi; gli offro fame, sete, marce forzate, battaglie e morte. Chi ama la Patria me segua. Soldiers, I'm getting out of Rome. Anyone who wants to carry on the war against the outsiders, follow me. I can offer you neither honours nor wages, I offer you hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles and death. Anyone who loves his country, follow me.

—Garibaldi, Giuseppe

He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lakeside, He came to those who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same word: 'Follow thou me!' and setsustothetaskswhich Hehastofulfil forour time. He commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple,He will reveal Himself inthetoils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience who He is.

—Schweitzer, Albert

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

—Bible (NewTestament)

Money's a horrid thing to follow, but a charming thing to meet.

—James, Henry

Video meliora, proboque; Deteriora sequor. I see the better things, and approve; I follow the worse.

—Ovid full name Publius OvidiusNaso   4317

But Jesussaid untohim,Followme; and letthe dead bury their dead.

—Bible (NewTestament)

And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

—Bible (NewTestament)

The best that an American can look forward to is the lonely pleasure of one who stands at long last on a chilly and inhospitable mountain top where few have been, where few can follow, and where few will consent to believe that he has been.

—Kennan, George Frost