Skip to content
GREMockTests
GRE vocabulary

adhere

verbHigh-frequency wordMore A words

to stick firmly to a surface or to follow and support a rule or belief

Word origin: From Latin adhaerere, to stick to (ad- to plus haerere to cling).

In a sentence

Adhere in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing adhere in a sentence.

Members were expected to adhere strictly to the code of conduct.

Reviewers rejected the manuscript because it failed to adhere to the journal's standards for statistical reporting.

Synonyms
clingstickconformcomply
Antonyms
deviateabandonforsake
Usage & nuance

Using “adhere” well

Adhere works both literally, to stick to a surface, and figuratively, to follow a rule or belief faithfully. In the figurative sense it is followed by to, as in adhere to a policy.

Common questions

Questions about “adhere

Adhere (verb) means to stick firmly to a surface or to follow and support a rule or belief
Here is adhere used in an example sentence: "Members were expected to adhere strictly to the code of conduct." Another example: "Reviewers rejected the manuscript because it failed to adhere to the journal's standards for statistical reporting."
Common synonyms for adhere include cling, stick, conform, comply.
Antonyms of adhere include deviate, abandon, forsake.
Adhere clusters with cling, stick, conform, and comply in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms deviate, abandon, and forsake signal departure from a rule or commitment.
Yes. Adhere is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.