adhere
- 01 C1 Advanced
to stick firmly to something.
to stick fast to a surface or substance through physical attraction, suction, or glue. Intransitive; almost always used with the preposition 'to'.
Simple“The bandage will not adhere to your skin if it is wet.”
In context“The specialized industrial coating is designed to adhere to metallic surfaces even under extreme thermal stress.”
UsageUsually takes the preposition 'to'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
to continue to obey a rule or maintain a belief.
to behave according to a particular rule, belief, or agreement. Intransitive; requires 'to' before the object.
Simple“All staff members must adhere to the company's safety policy.”
In context“The research team failed to strictly adhere to the established ethical guidelines, leading to the eventual dismissal of their findings.”
UsageAlways used with the preposition 'to' followed by a noun phrase.
Teacher's tipThis is a high-frequency word in academic and legal contexts; students should use it instead of 'follow' to sound more professional.
Usage adhere to guidelines · adhere to · strictly adhere
“For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines ).”
From Middle English *adheren (suggested by Middle English adherande (“adhering, adherent”, present participle)), from Latin adhaerēre, adhaesum: ad (“to”) + haerēre (“to stick”). Compare French adhérer.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.