Dictionary

adhere en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (California) audio
• /ɛdˈhiːə/ (New-Zealand)
• /ædˈhɪə/ (Australia)
• /ɛdˈhiə/ (New-Zealand)
• /ædˈhɪɹ/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ædˈhɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin haereō Latin adhaereōder. Middle English *adheren English adhere From Middle English *adheren (suggested by Middle English adherande (“adhering, adherent”, present participle)), from Latin adhaerēre, adhaesum: ad (“to”) + haerēre (“to stick”). Compare French adhérer.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To stick fast or cleave, as a glutinous substance does; to become joined or united.
   • The sure test of the presence of the disease is found in the dead body of the larva, which is dark and discoloured; and if a toothpick or pin be thrust into it and then drawn back, the body contents will adhere to it in a stringy mass, to the extent of a half or even an entire inch, as if it were mucous or glue; later the bodies of the larvae dry and appear as black scales in the cell bottoms. 1905, Anna Botsford Comstock, chapter 16, in How to Keep Bees:
   • December 23 2016, Victoria Neff in Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald, The story of mistletoe Mistletoe is an evergreen perennial shrub that has female plants that produce white berries. These white berries are a favorite food of birds who help to reseed the sticky seeds that adhere to tree branches.
   • Wax adhered to his finger.
2. (figuratively, intransitive) To be attached or devoted by personal union, in belief, on principle, etc.
   • December 13 2016, Secret aid worker, Secret aid worker: NGOs can be efficient, if it involves sacrificing staff But from then on, everything went full speed. A tight timeline was adhered to and it became clear that the organisation’s new direction saw no value in keeping or developing the talents it had previously hired.
   • She has conceived the high function of poetry as an interpretation and criticism of life, adhering to the canons of her beloved master, Matthew Arnold, and has proven her worth, and the right to receive and exercise the spiritual influence inherited from that great and austere poet. 1913, William Stanley Braithwaite, A Foremost American Lyrist: An Appreciation:
   • Upon the whole, if, by the British dominions, you mean territories subject to the Parliament, you adhere to your usual fallacy, and suppose what you are bound to prove. 1775 February 23, Alexander Hamilton, “The Farmer Refuted, &c., [23 February] 1775”, in Harold C. Syrett, editor, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, volumes 1, 1768–1778, New York: Columbia University Press, published 1962, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 103:
   • This paper gives an overview of such commentary it has received, minimal as it is, and highlights a number of inaccuracies that appear to adhere to the dictionary with worrying regularity. 2018, James Lambert, “Setting the Record Straight: An In-depth Examination of Hobson-Jobson”, in International Journal of Lexicography, volume 31, number 4, →DOI, page 486:
   • King Ferdinand adopted the magnanimous measure recommended by the queen, but he accompanied it with several shrewd conditions, exacting tribute, military services, and safe passages and maintenance for Christian troops throughout the places which should adhere to Boabdil. 1829, Washington Irving, chapter 20, in Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada:
3. (figuratively, intransitive) To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree.
   • For the most part, Hefner's female companions all adhered to the same mold: twentysomething, bosomy and blonde. "Well, I guess I know what I like," he once said when asked about his preferences. 2017 September 27, David Browne, “Hugh Hefner, 'Playboy' Founder, Dead at 91”, in Rolling Stone:
4. (transitive) To fasten by adhesion.
   • Adhere them onto light shades of coordinating card stock and cut each piece of card stock %n larger than the image on four sides. 2001, Rebecca Carter, Vanessa-Ann, The Ultimate Scrapbooking Book, page 96:
   • press on the two layers of paste to adhere them together […]. 1920, Charles Ranhofer, The Epicurean: A Complete Treatise of Analytical and Practical Studies on the Culinary Art, page 211:
   • A process in producing playing balls which consists molding a pair of hollow hemispheres from suitable air proof mate rial softening their edges by heat and adhering them to form a unitary hollow sphere inclosing said sphere in a stiffened envelop. 1903 May 16, ADDISON T SAUNDERS, 785,184 MANUFACTURE OF PLAYING BALLS, US Patent 157,363 (PDF version), page 568:
5. (intransitive, qualifier:Scots law) To affirm a judgment.

Forms

Antonyms

deadhere · divide

Deriveds

adherable · unadhere · adheringly · disadhere · cytoadhere · nonadhering · readhere · unadhered · adherer

Hyponyms

lute · weld · braze · solder · agglutinate · paste · gum

Relateds

inhere · adherence · adherent · deadhere · cohere · adhesive

Synonyms

conglutinate · cohere · glue · cleave · stick · cleave · adhere · bond · stick together · attach · stick · cling · stick with · cling · hug

Translations (80)

txb trenk- (To stick fast or cleave) · nl plakken (To stick fast or cleave) · gl adherirse (To stick fast or cleave) · ko 달라붙다 (To stick fast or cleave) · de festhalten (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · gl adherir (To stick fast or cleave) · de kleben (To stick fast or cleave) · da overholde (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · fr adhérer (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · bg спазвам (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · ru приде́рживаться (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · la adhaereō (To stick fast or cleave) · cmn 黏著 (To stick fast or cleave) · fi pitää kiinni (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · id melekat (To stick fast or cleave) · fi noudattaa (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · eo adheri (To stick fast or cleave) · de befolgen (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · la haereō (To stick fast or cleave) · cmn 附著 (To stick fast or cleave) · es pegarse (To stick fast or cleave) · da klæbe (To stick fast or cleave) · ru прикле́иваться (To stick fast or cleave) · cmn 附着 (To stick fast or cleave) · oc aderir (To stick fast or cleave) · bg прилепвам (To stick fast or cleave) · fi kiinnittyä (To stick fast or cleave) · ru прилипа́ть (To stick fast or cleave) · ota یاپشمق (To stick fast or cleave) · te అంటుకొను (To stick fast or cleave) · txb tsu- (To stick fast or cleave) · ba йәбешеү (To stick fast or cleave) · de sich halten (an etwas) (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · de halten (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · ru прили́пнуть (To stick fast or cleave) · ru прикле́иться (To stick fast or cleave) · bg прилепвам се (To stick fast or cleave) · it aderire (To stick fast or cleave) · sv hålla sig till (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · nl kleven (To stick fast or cleave) · nmn dtʻkxʻàba (To stick fast or cleave) · fi tarttua (To stick fast or cleave) · nl vasthouden (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · fi pitää kiinni (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · ru остава́ться ве́рным (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · ru приде́рживаться (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · bg съблюдавам (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · cmn 遵守 (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · th ติด (To stick fast or cleave) · cy glynu (To stick fast or cleave) · nl samenhangen (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · sv hålla fast (vid) (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · eo alteniĝi (To stick fast or cleave) · sv hålla sig till (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · it seguire (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · cmn 堅持 /坚持 (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · ca adherir-se (To stick fast or cleave) · da holde sig til (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · sa श्लिष्यति (To stick fast or cleave) · bg оставам верен (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · sa स्निह्यति (To stick fast or cleave) · sv fästa (vid) (To stick fast or cleave) · cmn 固守 (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · es adherecer (To stick fast or cleave) · nl aanhangen (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · pt aderir (To stick fast or cleave) · cmn 黏着 (To stick fast or cleave) · fr adhérer (To stick fast or cleave) · cmn 粘附 (To stick fast or cleave) · ja くっ付く (To stick fast or cleave) · ru соблюда́ть (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · it aderire (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · az tərəfdarı olmaq (To hold, be attached, or be devoted) · es cumplir con (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · ca adherir (To stick fast or cleave) · ja 付く (To stick fast or cleave) · es adherirse (To stick fast or cleave) · sv hålla fast (vid) (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · es adherirse a (To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree) · da klistre (To stick fast or cleave)