adherent 1 of 2

Definition of adherentnext
as in adhesive
tending to adhere to objects upon contact the bandage is made from a mildly adherent fiber

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

adherent

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word adherent different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of adherent are disciple, follower, and partisan. While all these words mean "one who gives full loyalty and support to another," adherent suggests a close and persistent attachment.

adherents to Marxism

When might disciple be a better fit than adherent?

Although the words disciple and adherent have much in common, disciple implies a devoted allegiance to the teachings of one chosen as a master.

disciples of Gandhi

When can follower be used instead of adherent?

The meanings of follower and adherent largely overlap; however, follower may apply to people who attach themselves either to the person or beliefs of another.

an evangelist and his followers

When is partisan a more appropriate choice than adherent?

The synonyms partisan and adherent are sometimes interchangeable, but partisan suggests a zealous often prejudiced attachment.

partisans of the President

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of adherent
Adjective
For example, in the HIV disease area, patients on single tablet regimens are more adherent and persistent than those on multiple tablet treatments. Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 Researchers separated out a group of patients who took their medication for at least a full 120 days, to make sure the difference couldn’t be chalked up to one group being more adherent than the other. Isabella Cueto, STAT, 22 May 2024
Noun
Since then, Human Rights Watch asserted, the authorities have demolished hundreds of church buildings or the crosses atop them, prevented adherents from gathering in unofficial churches, restricted access to the Bible, and confiscated religious materials not authorized by the government. ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026 Buddhists often celebrate Vesak with processions, by visiting temples, meditating and through acts of fasting, while adherents in India may immerse themselves in the river Ganga to wash away their sins. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for adherent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adherent
Adjective
  • The adhesive material also maintained stable performance after six months in storage.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
  • Besides proving out helium-3 extraction methods, another hurdle for Interlune’s Prospect Moon will be enduring the moon’s corrosive, adhesive lunar dust.
    Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
Noun
  • Online, this generally meant that creators encouraged their followers to pair a healthy habit with a fun or existing one (scrolling while walking on the treadmill, for example) or to just link two good behaviors together (folding laundry between breaks of your at-home workout).
    Julia Landwehr, Health, 18 May 2026
  • With more than four million followers and billions of views across platforms, Garg has built a global fanbase through her sharp, deeply relatable observations on family, culture, and modern life.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 May 2026
Adjective
  • Belonging to the same group of mammals as sloths and anteaters, armadillos are voracious insectivores that eat large numbers of beetles, grubs, ants, termites, and other insects, grabbing them with their sticky tongues.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
  • If a creature is small enough to swallow and not spiny or sticky or otherwise resists Yoshi's tongue, it will be turned into a green egg that's the series standard.
    Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 19 May 2026
Noun
  • Christie deserves the target on her back due to horrific working conditions at her uppity stores, one managed by a lap dog of a Smith disciple (Will Poulter) who demands workers take the fastest lunch break on record.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
  • Xabi Alonso has been exposed to far too much elite football wisdom to be labelled a mere Guardiola disciple, but his style of play offers the path to a positive form of continuity while his status in the game commands far greater respect than any BlueCo hire since Mauricio Pochettino.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • But this idea—that the more motivated partisans are to discriminate against Black voters, the less racist that discrimination is—is a perverse inversion of the Fifteenth Amendment.
    Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
  • This has not always endeared him to some Democratic partisans.
    Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • Other supporters traveled from elsewhere in the city and included Miki Yamashita, who runs the asiansforpratt Instagram page.
    Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2026
  • Police ‘grease the poles’ regularly before NFL games, in an attempt to prevent supporters from climbing them.
    Elias Burke, New York Times, 21 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Adherent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adherent. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

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