1. To come or go after; proceed behind: Follow the usher to your seat.
2. 1. To go after in or as if in pursuit: "The wrong she had done followed her and haunted her dream" (Katherine Anne Porter).
   2. To keep under surveillance: followed the suspect around town.
   3. To move along the course of; take: We followed a path to the shore.
   4. To go in the direction of; be guided by: followed the sun westward across the plains; followed the signs to the zoo.
   5. To act in agreement or compliance with; obey: follow the rules; follow one's instincts.
   6. To keep to or stick to: followed the recipe; follow a diet.
   7. To watch or observe closely: followed the bird through binoculars.
   8. To be attentive to; pay close heed to: too sleepy to follow the sermon.
   9. To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of: follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
3. 1. To move along the course of; take: We followed a path to the shore.
   2. To go in the direction of; be guided by: followed the sun westward across the plains; followed the signs to the zoo.
   3. To act in agreement or compliance with; obey: follow the rules; follow one's instincts.
   4. To keep to or stick to: followed the recipe; follow a diet.
   5. To watch or observe closely: followed the bird through binoculars.
   6. To be attentive to; pay close heed to: too sleepy to follow the sermon.
   7. To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of: follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
4. To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of: follow a spiritual master; rebels who refused to follow their commander.
5. To adhere to; practice: followed family traditions.
6. To take as a model or precedent; imitate: followed my example and resigned.
7. 1. To act in agreement or compliance with; obey: follow the rules; follow one's instincts.
   2. To keep to or stick to: followed the recipe; follow a diet.
   3. To watch or observe closely: followed the bird through binoculars.
   4. To be attentive to; pay close heed to: too sleepy to follow the sermon.
   5. To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of: follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
8. To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
9. To come after in order, time, or position: Night follows day.
10. To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of: She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit record with a tour.
11. To occur or be evident as a consequence of: Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
12. 1. To watch or observe closely: followed the bird through binoculars.
    2. To be attentive to; pay close heed to: too sleepy to follow the sermon.
    3. To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of: follow the stock market; followed the local teams.
13. To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand: Do you follow my argument?

1. To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
2. To occur or be evident as a consequence; result: If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
3. To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.

1. The act or an instance of following.
2. Games A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.
3. Sports To carry a stroke to natural completion after hitting or releasing a ball or other object.
4. To carry an act, project, or intention to completion; pursue fully: followed through on her promise to reorganize the department.
5. To carry to completion; follow through on: followed up their recommendations with concrete proposals.
6. To increase the effectiveness or enhance the success of by further action: followed up her interview with an e-mail.

1. Sports To carry a stroke to natural completion after hitting or releasing a ball or other object.
2. To carry an act, project, or intention to completion; pursue fully: followed through on her promise to reorganize the department.

1. To carry to completion; follow through on: followed up their recommendations with concrete proposals.
2. To increase the effectiveness or enhance the success of by further action: followed up her interview with an e-mail.

1. To move straight ahead or in a direct path.
2. Informal To be guided by instinct: had no formal training but became a success by following his nose.

1. Games To play a card of the same suit as the one led.
2. To do as another has done; follow an example.

Synonyms: These verbs mean to come after something or someone. Follow, which has the widest application, can refer to coming after in time or order, as a consequence or result, or by the operation of logic: Night follows day. He disregarded doctor's orders, and a relapse followed. Because she decries violence, it follows that she won't carry a gun. To succeed is to come next after another, especially in planned order determined by considerations such as rank, inheritance, or election: The heir apparent succeeded to the throne.
Ensue usually applies to what is a consequence or logical development: After the government was toppled, chaos ensued.
Result implies that what follows is caused by what has preceded: Failure to file an income tax return can result in a fine.
Supervene, in contrast, refers to something that is often unexpected and that has little relation to what has preceded: "A bad harvest supervened" (Charlotte Brontë).

Usage Note: As follows (not as follow) is the established form of the idiom regardless of whether the noun that precedes it is singular or plural: The regulations are as follows.