the following
noun
: the following one or ones
—used to introduce a list, a quotation, etc.
The finalists are the following: Mary, James, and George.
The following are the times of departing trains: 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m.
Examples of the following in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
School officials said 50 of the students were able to escape in the following days, while 253 students and 12 teachers remain captive.
—
Rachel Wolf , Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Over the following months, the swelling had subsided, healing progressed, and the blood supply had stabilized.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Dec. 2025
Wright was released the following day.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
Lay out clothes, pack lunches, reorganize your work or school bags, and brain dump a to-do list for the following day.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the following
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachel Wolf , Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Over the following months, the swelling had subsided, healing progressed, and the blood supply had stabilized.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Dec. 2025
Wright was released the following day.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
Lay out clothes, pack lunches, reorganize your work or school bags, and brain dump a to-do list for the following day.
—Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the following
Cite this Entry
“The following.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20following. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share