adhere

verb

Sayad-HEER/ædˈhɪɹ/UK · AUS/ædˈhɪə/

Formsadheres, adhering, adhered

4 meanings of adhere

1
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To stay loyal to a person, belief, or cause and not turn away.
Like sticking with your team even when they keep losing.
Members of the group adhere to its core values.
She adhered to her principles even when it cost her dearly.
Similarcling, stick, hold
Oppositeabandon, renounce
Note
2
verbintransitive
To stick tightly to a surface so it will not easily come off.
Like a label that holds tight to a notebook.
Wet paint will not adhere to a dusty wall.
The sticker adhered to the glass without any bubbles.
Similarstick, cling, cleave
Note
3
verbfigurativelyintransitive
To follow a rule or plan closely and not change from it.
Like following the steps of a recipe exactly.
Drivers must adhere to the posted speed limit.
The crew adhered to the safety checklist before every flight.
Similarcomply, conform, stick, follow
Oppositedeviate, violate, flout, disregard
Note
4
verbintransitive
In Scottish law, to agree with and uphold an earlier court decision.
Like a referee agreeing with an earlier call instead of changing it.
The higher court chose to adhere to the original ruling.
The judges adhered to the lower court's decision on appeal.
Similaraffirm, uphold
Oppositereverse, overturn
Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of adhere apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Latin adhaerēre, from ad meaning "to" and haerēre meaning "to stick."