Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To stick fast to something; stay attached.
  • intransitive verb To remain devoted to or be in support of something.
  • intransitive verb To carry out a plan, scheme, or operation without deviation.
  • intransitive verb To cause to adhere; make stick.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To stick fast; cleave; become joined or united so as not to be easily separated without tearing: as, glutinous substances adhere to one another; the lungs sometimes adhere to the pleura.
  • To hold closely or firmly (to): as, to adhere to a plan.
  • To belong intimately; be closely connected.
  • To be fixed in attachment or devotion; be devoted; be attached as a follower or upholder: as, men adhere to a party, a leader, a church, or a creed; rarely, to be attached as a friend.
  • To be consistent; hold together; be in accordance or agreement, as the parts of a system; cohere.
  • Specifically, in Scots law: To affirm a judgment; agree with the opinion of a judge previously pronounced.
  • To return to a husband or wife who has been deserted. See adherence, 3. In logic and metaphysics, to be accidentally connected. See adherent, a., 3.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To stick fast or cleave, as a glutinous substance does; to become joined or united
  • intransitive verb To hold, be attached, or devoted; to remain fixed, either by personal union or conformity of faith, principle, or opinion.
  • intransitive verb To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb intransitive To stick fast or cleave, as a glutinous substance does; to become joined or united; as, wax to the finger; the lungs sometimes adhere to the pleura.
  • verb intransitive To hold, be attached, or devoted; to remain fixed, either by personal union or conformity of faith, principle, or opinion; as, men adhere to a party, a cause, a leader, a church.
  • verb intransitive To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb follow through or carry out a plan without deviation
  • verb stick to firmly
  • verb be loyal to
  • verb come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
  • verb be compatible or in accordance with
  • verb be a devoted follower or supporter

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French adhérer, from Latin adhaerēre, to stick to : ad-, ad- + haerēre, to stick.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin adhaerere, adhaesum; ad + haerere ("to stick"): compare French adhérer

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Examples

  • Even when the pace quickened with the stress of the music the gestures still continued to be restrained and hieratic, only when, one by one, the performers detached themselves from the round and knelt before us for the _peseta_ it is customary to press on their foreheads, did one see, by the moisture which made the coin adhere, how quick and violent their movements had been.

    In Morocco Edith Wharton 1899

  • Before we being, I would like to remind you that some of the comments made on the call adhere prepared remarks and response to your questions may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    SeekingAlpha.com: Home Page 2010

  • Before we being, I would like to remind you that some of the comments made on the call adhere prepared remarks and response to your questions may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    SeekingAlpha.com: Home Page 2010

  • Hereby is the template that I think the superdelegates should adhere, that is they should vote as “independents” and for the candidate that represents the “base” of the party.

    Carville Stands By ‘Judas’ Remark - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com 2008

  • Pro tip: Don't worry about involving yourself in the difference between hertz and bits; even complex technical terms adhere to the logical tendency that more is better.

    Wired Top Stories How-To Wiki 2012

  • Nakheel has a $3. 5bn convertible sukuk - essentially a convertible bond whose terms adhere to Islamic lending practices - that will reach maturity on December 14.

    Housing Wire 2009

  • We all kind of adhere to the same general rule, says Mike Woodard, principal at Superior Hills Elementary School.

    Too cold for recess? School policies vary as much as temps 2011

  • We all kind of adhere to the same general rule, says Mike Woodard, principal at Superior Hills Elementary School.

    Too cold for recess? School policies vary as much as temps 2011

  • We all kind of adhere to the same general rule, says Mike Woodard, principal at Superior Hills Elementary School.

    Too cold for recess? School policies vary as much as temps 2011

  • Nice sentiment, but that trust will continually be violated as long as companies merely "adhere" to values rather than actually believe in the values they spend so much time and money convincing us they have, if they have them at all.

    Toyota, Massey, BP and the shrinking list of good corporate citizens 2010

Comments

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  • Often seen the word 'abhere' used - is this the same?

    June 22, 2011

  • See abhere.

    June 22, 2011

  • "Adhering adhere'>adhere to a view of history as a teleological climb by humanity to greater and greater heights of rationality, they see religion as an irrational vestige of a more primitive mankind. "

    Source: The most avid believers in artificial intelligence are aggressively secular – yet their language is eerily religious. Why?

    January 22, 2018