follower

noun

fol·​low·​er ˈfä-lə-wər 

1

a

: one in the service of another : retainer

b

: one that follows the opinions or teachings of another

c

: one that imitates another

2

archaic : one that chases

3

: a sheet added to the first sheet of an indenture or other deed

4

: a machine part that receives motion from another part

5

: a spring-loaded plate at the bottom of a firearm's magazine that angles cartridges for proper insertion into the chamber

6

: fan, devotee

7

: one who subscribes to a feed especially on social media

His account has thousands of followers.

Synonyms

• acolyte
• adherent
• convert
• disciple
• epigone
• liege man
• partisan
• partizan
• pupil
• votarist
• votary

Choose the Right Synonym for follower

follower, adherent, disciple, partisan mean one who gives full loyalty and support to another.

follower may apply to people who attach themselves either to the person or beliefs of another.

an evangelist and his followers

adherent suggests a close and persistent attachment.

adherents to Marxism

disciple implies a devoted allegiance to the teachings of one chosen as a master.

disciples of Gandhi

partisan suggests a zealous often prejudiced attachment.

partisans of the President

Examples of follower in a Sentence

The party drew most of its followers from among young people.

The band has a large group of followers.

He had a reputation of being a follower, not a leader.

Recent Examples on the Web

Your future followers are already on LinkedIn, scrolling past content that doesn't grab them. —Jodie Cook, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

An authentic post would have been captured and shared at various times by Trudeau’s 6.5 million followers with varying numbers of reposts and likes. —Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024

On Cyber Monday, Steele and PepsiCo hosted a first-of-its-kind partnership on TikTok Shop, with Steele promoting the company’s snacks in an hours-long live session via her own Canvas Beauty page, which counts nearly 500,000 followers. —Noor Lobad, WWD, 6 Dec. 2024

With almost 3 million followers on Instagram, Dr. Kennedy has become a favorite expert offering insight on how to build a stronger parent-child connection. —Anna Halkidis, Parents, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing follower

• camp follower

Kids Definition

follower

noun

fol·​low·​er ˈfäl-ə-wər 

1

: attendant entry 2 sense 1

2

: supporter, adherent

3

: disciple sense 1

4

: one who subscribes to a feed especially on social media