follow-up

1 of 3

noun

fol·​low-up ˈfä-lō-ˌəp 

1

a

: the act or an instance of following up

b

: something that follows up

2

: maintenance of contact with or reexamination of a person (such as a patient) especially following treatment

The surgeon scheduled a follow-up with his patient a week after the surgery.

3

: a news story presenting new information on a story published earlier

A few days after the story broke, the newspaper printed a follow-up.

follow-up

2 of 3

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or being something that follows up

follow-up action by the police

—Frank Faulkner

had a few follow-up questions after the interview

2

: done, conducted, or administered in the course of following up persons

follow-up care for discharged hospital patients

follow up

3 of 3

verb

followed up; following up; follows up

transitive verb

1

: to follow with something similar, related, or supplementary

following up his convictions with action

—G. P. Merrill

She followed up her first novel with a second one.

2

: to maintain contact with (a person) so as to monitor the effects of earlier activities or treatments

All patients were followed up clinically for four months.

3

: to pursue in an effort to take further action

the police are following up leads

intransitive verb

: to take appropriate action

follow up on complaints

Examples of follow-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Most of my more complex questions and follow-ups were met with links to websites rather than direct answers. —PCMAG, 7 Nov. 2024

The distinction is important because a felony arrest typically entails more rigid follow-up in court and a higher likelihood of jail detention, while a misdemeanor often ends with a citation and release on the spot. —Robert Salonga, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

Adjective

The user can also tell Bing to alter the image with follow-up requests, as Microsoft’s demo shows. —Michael Kan, PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2023

In a follow-up statement released around 2 p.m., the agency said the restrictions would remain in place until at least the end of service. —John Hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023

Verb

An introductory episode to the families follows up with episodes that relate to each family’s drama. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024

Israel followed up the pager detonations with the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an air strike and launching incursions in south Lebanon. —Reuters, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1657, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

follow-up

1 of 2 noun

fol·​low-up

ˈfäl-ə-ˌwəp

1

: the act or an instance of following up

therapy as a follow-up to surgery

2

: something that follows up

follow-up adjective

follow up

2 of 2 verb

ˌfäl-ə-ˈwəp

1

: to follow with something similar, related, or additional

follow up an idea with action

2

: to seek more details about

the police are following up leads

Medical Definition

follow-up

1 of 2 noun

fol·​low-up ˈfäl-ə-ˌwəp, ˌfäl- 

: maintenance of contact with a patient at one or more designated intervals following diagnosis or treatment especially to examine again or monitor the progress of therapy

also : an instance of such contact

At three-month and six-month follow-ups, he had only mild, residual facial swelling on the lower left side.

—Meredith August et al., The New England Journal of Medicine

follow-up adjective

a follow-up visit

follow-up care

When ovarian cancer is found, better follow-up procedures and more aggressive chemotherapy are prolonging remissions, even in women with advanced disease.

—Mayo Clinic Health Letter

follow up

2 of 2 transitive verb

ˌfäl-ə-ˈwəp 

: to maintain contact with (a patient) at one or more designated intervals following diagnosis or treatment especially to examine again or monitor the progress of therapy

patients who are followed up after their discharge

She was discharged on postoperative day 4 and was followed up in the surgery clinic 19 days postoperatively.

—Steven L. Bloom et al., The New England Journal of Medicine