adherent
8 synonyms and 3 antonyms for adherent, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A person who supports a particular leader, party, religion or set of ideas.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A person who supports a particular leader, party, religion or set of ideas.
“The movement claims several million adherents worldwide.”
Opposites
How to use adherent
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Formal. Common in religious, political and academic writing.
Etymology
From Latin adhaerentem, present participle of adhaerere 'to stick to', from ad- 'to' + haerere 'to stick'.
Full origin of adherent →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an adherent and a follower?
They are close, but adherent stresses commitment to a doctrine, faith or cause, while follower can be much looser — including someone who merely reads your posts. You would say adherents of Buddhism, but followers on Instagram.
Is it adherent or adherence?
Adherent is the person who sticks to something, or the adjective describing something that sticks. Adherence is the abstract noun for the act of sticking to a rule, treatment or belief: patient adherence to the medication was poor.
Can adherent be used about objects?
Yes, mainly in medical and technical writing, where it means physically stuck to something — adherent scar tissue, adherent cells in a culture dish.