verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ɪnˈsjuː/
UK:/ɪnˈʃuː/
UK:/ɛnˈsjuː/
UK:/ɛnˈʃuː/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, US:/ɪnˈsuː/
Australian:/enˈsjʉː/
rhymes with -uː
CMU ARPABET:IH0 N S UW1
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To follow (a leader, inclination etc.).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To follow (in time), to be subsequent to.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To occur afterwards, as a result or effect.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
Give three freshmen six bottles of wine, and hilarity will ensue.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
result in tragedy
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: result
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: prove, turn out, turn up
Narrower terms: come, be due, flow from, follow, fall out, come after
History
Etymology
From Old French ensu-, stem of some conjugated forms of ensuivre (“follow close upon, come afterward”) (French ensuivre), from Latin īnsequere, from īnsequi (“to pursue, follow, follow after; come next”), from in- (“upon”) (see in-) + sequi (“follow”) (see sequel).
Across languages
Translations
57 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
последвам
(posledvam)
— to occur as consequence
Chinese Mandarin:
接踵而來 /接踵而来
(jiēzhǒngérlái)
— to occur as consequence
Czech:
následovat
— to occur as consequence
Czech:
vyplývat
— to occur as consequence
Czech:
plynout
— to occur as consequence
Danish:
følge
— to occur as consequence
Dutch:
erop volgen
— to occur as consequence
Dutch:
daarop volgen
— to occur as consequence
Esperanto:
rezulti
— to occur as consequence
Esperanto:
sekvi
— to occur as consequence
Finnish:
seurata
— to occur as consequence
Finnish:
olla seurauksena
— to occur as consequence
French:
résulter
— to occur as consequence
French:
découler
— to occur as consequence
Georgian:
გაყოლა
(gaq̇ola)
— to occur as consequence
German:
folgen
— to occur as consequence
German:
ansetzen
— to occur as consequence
German:
erfolgen
— to occur as consequence
German:
nachfolgen
— to occur as consequence
German:
resultieren
— to occur as consequence
German:
sich ergeben
— to occur as consequence
German:
sich einstellen
— to occur as consequence
German:
eintreten
— to occur as consequence
Greek:
επακολουθώ
(epakolouthó)
— to occur as consequence
Hungarian:
következik
— to occur as consequence
Hungarian:
származik
— to occur as consequence
Hungarian:
ered
— to occur as consequence
Italian:
seguire
— to occur as consequence
Italian:
conseguire
— to occur as consequence
Japanese:
続く
(tsuzuku)
— to occur as consequence
Norwegian Bokmål:
etterfølge
— to occur as consequence
Polish:
wynikać
— to occur as consequence
Polish:
wyniknąć
— to occur as consequence
Polish:
następować
— to occur as consequence
Polish:
nastąpić
— to occur as consequence
Portuguese:
resultar
— to occur as consequence
Portuguese:
seguir-se
— to occur as consequence
Russian:
сле́довать
(slédovatʹ)
— to occur as consequence
Serbo-Croatian:
slijediti
— to occur as consequence
Spanish:
seguirse
— to occur as consequence
Spanish:
resultar
— to occur as consequence
Spanish:
sobrevenir
— to occur as consequence
Spanish:
avenir
— to occur as consequence
Spanish:
advenir
— to occur as consequence
Spanish:
ocurrir después de
— to occur as consequence
Spanish:
acontecer
— to occur as consequence
Spanish:
acaecer
— to occur as consequence
Spanish:
subseguir
— to occur as consequence
Spanish:
desatarse
— to occur as consequence
Swedish:
bli följden
— to occur as consequence
Turkish:
ardından gelmek
— to occur as consequence
Turkish:
doğmak
— to occur as consequence
Turkish:
izlemek
— to occur as consequence
Turkish:
sonradan gelmek
— to occur as consequence