follow

follow
follow follow [ˈfɒləʊ ǁ ˈfɑːloʊ] verb
1. [intransitive, transitive] to come or happen afterwards:

• The company's decision to diversify follows a sharp decline in demand for its products.

• As the recession worsened, further closures followed.

2. [intransitive] also follow on to be sent or paid later:

• You can pay a deposit of £400 now, with the balance to follow within 30 days.

3. [transitive] to do something in the way that someone has told or advised you to do it, or according to the instructions that say how it should be done:

• If you'd followed my advice, we'd still be in profit.

• The contractor was fined for failing to follow proper safety procedures.

• Just follow the guidelines contained in this report.

4. [transitive] to act according to a particular plan or set of ideas:

• The Chancellor is expected to follow a cautious economic policy.

• The company had followed the wrong strategy.

5. [transitive] to happen or develop in the same way as something else:

• These recent mergers appear to be following a trend.

• If one company drops its prices, the others have to follow suit (= do the same thing ) .

6. follow an occupation/​trade/​career etc formal to do a particular job or trade:

• He intends to follow a legal career.

follow something → up phrasal verb [transitive]
to do something as a result of something someone has suggested or something you have found out:

• Many of the report's recommendations are worth following up.

follow something up with something phrasal verb [transitive]
to do something to make sure that earlier actions have been successful or effective:

• To increase your chances of making a sale, it is important to follow the initial phone call up with an email or a letter.

— see also follow-up

* * *

follow UK US /ˈfɒləʊ/ verb
[I or T] to happen or come after something: »

More mergers are likely to follow.

»

October's increase followed a 1.6% rise in output in September.

»

The bonds recovered after some initial selling following news of the proposed merger.

»

Government macro-economic policy encouraged a consumer boom followed by a deep recession.

[T] to obey instructions or to do something according to a plan or someone's advice: »

The shelves are easy to assemble if you follow the instructions carefully.

follow orders/advice »

By following our advice, clients should save at least £770 a year.

follow a policy/a procedure/guidelines »

At the enquiry into the crash, the airline said that normal procedure had been followed.

[T] to watch something closely to see how it develops: »

He works for a group of Wall Street analysts who follow internet stocks closely.

[I or T] to do the same thing as someone: »

They were the first to introduce online ordering, but other companies have been quick to follow.

follow sb's example/lead »

When the company announces its price increases, many of its competitors are expected to follow its lead.

[I] (also follow on) to be sent or paid at a later date: »

Your bank card will arrive first, and the PIN number will follow, in a separate envelope.

as follows — Cf. as follows
follow a career, occupation, trade, etc. — Cf. follow a career, occupation, trade, etc.
follow suit — Cf. follow suit

Financial and business terms. 2012.

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Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Follow-on — is a term used in the sport of cricket to describe a situation where the team that bats second is forced to take its second batting innings immediately after its first, because the team was not able to get close enough (within 200 runs) to the… …   Wikipedia

  • Follow — Fol low, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Followed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Following}.][OE. foluwen, folwen, folgen, AS. folgian, fylgean, fylgan; akin to D. volgen, OHG. folg[=e]n, G. folgen, Icel. fylgja, Sw. f[ o]lja, Dan. f[ o]lge, and perh. to E. folk.] 1.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • follow — [fäl′ō] vt. [ME folwen < OE folgian, akin to Ger folgen & (?) Welsh olafiad, follower] 1. to come or go after 2. to go after in order to catch; chase; pursue 3. to go along [follow the right road] 4. to come or occur after in time, in a series …   English World dictionary

  • follow — vb 1 Follow, succeed, ensue, supervene mean to come after someone or, more often, something. Although all of these verbs occur as transitives and intransitives, ensue and supervene are more commonly intransitive verbs. Follow is the general term… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • follow-up — follow up1 adj [only before noun] done in order to find out more or do more about something →↑follow up ▪ a follow up study on children and poverty follow up 2 follow up2 n 1.) [U and C] something that is done to make sure that earlier actions… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • follow — ► VERB 1) move or travel behind. 2) go after (someone) so as to observe or monitor them. 3) go along (a route or path). 4) come after in time or order. 5) be a logical consequence. 6) (also follow on from) occur as a result of …   English terms dictionary

  • follow-up — follow ,up noun 1. ) count or uncount something that is done in order to complete something: Everyone liked my proposal, but there hasn t been any follow up. The researchers conducted a follow up study two years later. a ) something that is done… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • follow-up — n. 1. a second (or subsequent) action to increase the effectiveness of an initial action. Also used attributively; as a follow up visit. Note: A follow up may be of various types. After a medical examination, a second examination (or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • follow — fol·low vt: to be in accordance with (a prior decision): accept as authoritative see also precedent compare overrule Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996 …   Law dictionary

  • follow — (v.) O.E. folgian, fylgan follow, accompany; follow after, pursue, also obey, apply oneself to a practice or calling, from W.Gmc. *fulg (Cf. O.S. folgon, O.Fris. folgia, M.Du. volghen, Du. volgen, O.H.G. folgen, Ger. folgen, O.N. fylgja to follow …   Etymology dictionary

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