follower

The word “follower” means a person who supports, admires, or adheres to the ideas of another person, movement, or belief. In plain terms, someone who supports or subscribes to another person's ideas or online account.

“Follower” is pronounced FO-loh-uh (/ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/ in IPA).

Here is “follower” used in a sentence: “The cult had thousands of devoted followers.”

The opposite of “follower” — its antonyms — are leader and precursor.

“Follower” is a noun.

The word “follower” comes from Old English. From Old English folgere, built from "follow" plus the agent suffix "-er.".

“Follower” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Follower” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who supports, admires, or adheres to the ideas of another person, movement, or belief.

A fan is someone who admires or enjoys something, often passively, while a follower more actively supports, adheres to, or subscribes to a person, movement, or account. On social media specifically, a follower is someone who has formally subscribed to another user's account to see their updates.

A disciple usually implies a closer, more devoted relationship to a teacher or leader, often involving direct instruction, while a follower can simply mean someone who supports or adheres to a person's ideas from a distance. All disciples are followers, but not all followers are disciples.

In mechanical engineering, a follower is a part that receives motion from another moving part, such as a cam follower in an engine. This mechanical sense is unrelated to the social or ideological meaning of the word.