- follow
- follow follow [ˈfɒləʊ ǁ ˈfɑːloʊ] verb1. [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.
Financial and business terms. 2012.