ENGLISH
REFERENCE

adhered

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ædˈhɪɹd// UK //ædhˈiəd// ad·hered

v. stuck firmly to a surface or followed a set of rules or beliefs exactly.

v. past tense and past participle of 'adhere'; refers to remaining attached to a surface or strictly following a protocol or principle.


SIMPLE

The wet paper adhered to the glass window.

CONTEXTUAL

The research team adhered to the safety guidelines throughout the entire experiment to prevent any accidents.

COMPLEX

Although the surface was uneven, the specialized coating adhered perfectly, providing a durable layer of protection against the harsh environmental conditions of the high-altitude site.

Synonyms
Usage

Typically takes the preposition 'to' when describing both physical attachment and following rules.

Pitfall

they adhered the rulesthey adhered to the rulesAdhere is intransitive in this sense and requires the preposition 'to' before the object.

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