# adhere

Pronunciation: say "ad-HEER" US /ædˈhɪɹ/, UK/AUS /ædˈhɪə/

## Verb

1. To remain attached or devoted to a person, belief, or principle.
   - Simple: To stay loyal to a person, belief, or cause and not turn away.
   - _Devout followers adhere to the teachings handed down through generations._
   - _The founders adhered firmly to the ideals on which the movement was built._
2. To stick fast to a surface, as a glue-like substance does, becoming joined or united with it.
   - Simple: To stick tightly to a surface so it will not easily come off.
   - _Barnacles adhere to the hulls of ships left in the water for months._
   - _The tape adhered to the cardboard and left no residue when peeled away._
3. To act in accordance with a rule, plan, or standard; to comply consistently and without deviation.
   - Simple: To follow a rule or plan closely and not change from it.
   - _All laboratory staff adhere to strict handling procedures for hazardous materials._
   - _The final report adhered closely to the format the editors had agreed upon._
4. In Scots law, to affirm or uphold a lower court's judgment on appeal rather than overturn it.
   - Simple: In Scottish law, to agree with and uphold an earlier court decision.
   - _On appeal, the court may adhere to the interlocutor pronounced below._
   - _The Inner House adhered to the Lord Ordinary's decision and refused the reclaiming motion._

## Origin

From Middle English adheren, from Latin adhaerēre (adhaesum), a combination of ad ("to") and haerēre ("to stick"). Compare French adhérer.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/adhere (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).