Standard Lemma guide

following

adj · noun · prep · verb · 14 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈfɒləʊɪŋ/
  • Northumbria: /ˈfɒləɪn/
  • General-American: /ˈfɑloʊɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F AA1 L OW0 IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Coming next, either in sequence or in time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • See the following section.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: succeeding, following, next, after, later, subsequent, posterior, successor, ulterior

Antonyms: preceding, antecedent, anterior, earlier, erstwhile, ex, foregone, former, hitherto, old, olden, past, precedent, previous, prior, quondam, sometime, used-to-be, whilom

2

adj

Meaning 2

About to be specified.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The following words have no definition[...]

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: undermentioned

Antonyms: abovementioned, aforementioned, aforesaid

3

adj

Meaning 3

Blowing in the direction of travel, as opposed to headwind; downwind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The following wind sped us on our way.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A group of followers, attendants or admirers; an entourage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He had a loyal following.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Vocation; business; profession.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A thing or things to be mentioned immediately after.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: with-definite-article

Qualifier: treated as singular or plural

Examples

  • The following is a recommendation letter from the president.
  • The following are the three most important questions.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

An account which is followed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: social media

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

prep

Meaning 8

After, subsequent to.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: proscribed, sometimes

Examples

  • Following the meeting, we all had a chat.
  • We published our findings following a thorough review of others' earlier reports.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: before, prior to

9

prep

Meaning 9

In accordance with; as per.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Following all relevant safety instructions, administer a dose of the corticosteroid.
  • Administer a dose of the corticosteroid, following all relevant safety instructions.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: per

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

present participle and gerund of follow

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

adjective

Meaning 11

going or proceeding or coming after in the same direction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the crowd of following cars made the occasion seem like a parade
  • tried to outrun the following footsteps

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: leading

12

adjective satellite

Meaning 12

immediately following in time or order

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the following day
  • next in line
  • the next president
  • the next item on the list

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: next

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the culprit started to run and the cop took off in pursuit

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pursuit, chase, pursual

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: motion, movement, move

Narrower terms: trailing, tracking, shadowing, tailing, stalk, stalking

14

noun

Meaning 14

a group of followers or enthusiasts

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: followers

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: multitude, masses, mass, hoi polloi, people, the great unwashed

Narrower terms: claque, faithful, fandom

History

Etymology

By surface analysis, follow + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

119 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَالٍ (tālin) — next in sequence or time
  • Arabic: التَّالِي (at-tālī) — next in sequence or time
  • Armenian: հաջորդ (haǰord) — next in sequence or time
  • Armenian: հետեւյալ (hetewyal) — next in sequence or time
  • Belarusian: насту́пны (nastúpny) — next in sequence or time
  • Bulgarian: сле́дващ (slédvašt) — next in sequence or time
  • Catalan: següent — next in sequence or time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 下列 (xiàliè) — next in sequence or time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 下 (xià) — next in sequence or time
  • Czech: následující — next in sequence or time
  • Danish: følgende — next in sequence or time
  • Danish: næste — next in sequence or time
  • Danish: påfølgende — next in sequence or time
  • Dutch: volgende — next in sequence or time
  • Esperanto: sekva — next in sequence or time
  • Esperanto: sekvinta — next in sequence or time
  • Esperanto: sekvanta — next in sequence or time
  • Finnish: seuraava — next in sequence or time
  • French: suivant — next in sequence or time
  • German: folgend — next in sequence or time
  • German: anschließend — next in sequence or time
  • German: nachstehend — next in sequence or time
  • Greek: ακόλουθος (akólouthos) — next in sequence or time
  • Greek: κάτωθι (kátothi) — next in sequence or time
  • Ancient Greek: ἀκόλουθος (akólouthos) — next in sequence or time
  • Hungarian: következő — next in sequence or time
  • Interlingua: sequente — next in sequence or time
  • Italian: seguente — next in sequence or time
  • Latin: sequens — next in sequence or time
  • Latin: deinceps — next in sequence or time
  • Latin: posterus — next in sequence or time
  • Macedonian: следен (sleden) — next in sequence or time
  • Norwegian Bokmål: følgende — next in sequence or time
  • Norwegian Bokmål: påfølgende — next in sequence or time
  • Plautdietsch: näakjst — next in sequence or time
  • Polish: następny — next in sequence or time
  • Polish: następujący — next in sequence or time
  • Portuguese: seguinte — next in sequence or time
  • Russian: сле́дующий (slédujuščij) — next in sequence or time
  • Slovak: nasledujúci — next in sequence or time
  • Spanish: siguiente — next in sequence or time
  • Swedish: följande — next in sequence or time
  • Swedish: påföljande — next in sequence or time
  • Tibetan: རྗེས་མ (rjes ma) — next in sequence or time
  • Turkish: ertesi — next in sequence or time
  • Ottoman Turkish: تالی (tali) — next in sequence or time
  • Ukrainian: насту́пний (nastúpnyj) — next in sequence or time
  • Armenian: հետեւյալ (hetewyal) — about to be specified
  • Bulgarian: сле́ден (sléden) — about to be specified
  • Catalan: següent — about to be specified
  • Danish: næste — about to be specified
  • Esperanto: jena — about to be specified
  • Finnish: seuraava — about to be specified
  • French: suivant — about to be specified
  • French: ci-après — about to be specified
  • Georgian: შემდეგი (šemdegi) — about to be specified
  • Georgian: შემდგომი (šemdgomi) — about to be specified
  • German: folgend — about to be specified
  • German: nachstehend — about to be specified
  • Greek: εξής (exís) — about to be specified
  • Greek: ακόλουθος (akólouthos) — about to be specified
  • Hungarian: következő — about to be specified
  • Hungarian: alábbi — about to be specified
  • Icelandic: eftirfarandi — about to be specified
  • Japanese: 次のもの — about to be specified
  • Norwegian Bokmål: følgende — about to be specified
  • Portuguese: seguinte — about to be specified
  • Russian: сле́дующий (slédujuščij) — about to be specified
  • Spanish: próximo — about to be specified
  • Spanish: siguiente — about to be specified
  • Tibetan: གཤམ་གསལ (gsham gsal) — about to be specified
  • Turkish: müteakkip — about to be specified
  • Turkish: sonraki — about to be specified
  • Bulgarian: попъ́тен (popǎ́ten) — wind blowing in the direction of travel
  • Finnish: myötäinen — wind blowing in the direction of travel
  • French: favorable — wind blowing in the direction of travel
  • German: folgend — wind blowing in the direction of travel
  • Greek: ούριος (oúrios) — wind blowing in the direction of travel
  • Russian: попу́тный (popútnyj) — wind blowing in the direction of travel
  • Bulgarian: свита (svita) — a group of followers
  • Danish: følge — a group of followers
  • Esperanto: adeptaro — a group of followers
  • Finnish: kannattajakunta — a group of followers
  • French: mouvance — a group of followers
  • German: Anhänger — a group of followers
  • German: Anhängerschaft — a group of followers
  • German: Gefolge — a group of followers
  • German: Gefolgschaft — a group of followers
  • German: Fangemeinde — a group of followers
  • Greek: ακολουθία (akolouthía) — a group of followers
  • Greek: συνοδεία (synodeía) — a group of followers
  • Greek: κοινό (koinó) — a group of followers
  • Ancient Greek: ἀκολουθία (akolouthía) — a group of followers
  • Russian: аудито́рия (auditórija) — a group of followers
  • Swedish: följe — a group of followers
  • Swedish: anhängare — a group of followers
  • Hungarian: alábbiak — a thing or things to be mentioned immediately after
  • Korean: 팔로잉 (palloing) — an account which is followed
  • Russian: фолло́винг (follóving) — an account which is followed
  • Arabic: بَعْد (baʕd) — subsequent to
  • Arabic: بعد (baʕd) — subsequent to
  • Bulgarian: след (sled) — subsequent to
  • Danish: efter — subsequent to
  • Esperanto: sekvante — subsequent to
  • Finnish: jälkeen — subsequent to
  • French: après — subsequent to
  • French: postérieurement à — subsequent to
  • French: à la suite de — subsequent to
  • Georgian: შემდგომ (šemdgom) — subsequent to
  • Georgian: შემდეგ (šemdeg) — subsequent to
  • German: folgend — subsequent to
  • German: nach — subsequent to
  • Greek: κατόπιν (katópin) — subsequent to
  • Greek: ακολούθως (akoloúthos) — subsequent to
  • Polish: w ślad za — subsequent to
  • Polish: automatycznie — subsequent to
  • Polish: automatem — subsequent to
  • Polish: z automatu — subsequent to
  • Swedish: efter — subsequent to
Real reading context

following in complete knowledge articles