follower

noun

fol·​low·​er ˈfä-lə-wər How to pronounce follower (audio)
Synonyms of followernext
1
a
: one in the service of another : retainer
b
: one that follows the opinions or teachings of another
c
: one that imitates another
2
archaic : one that chases
3
: a sheet added to the first sheet of an indenture or other deed
4
: a machine part that receives motion from another part
5
: a spring-loaded plate at the bottom of a firearm's magazine that angles cartridges for proper insertion into the chamber
6
: fan, devotee
7
: one who subscribes to a feed especially on social media
His account has thousands of followers.

Synonyms of follower

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for follower

follower, adherent, disciple, partisan mean one who gives full loyalty and support to another.

follower may apply to people who attach themselves either to the person or beliefs of another.

an evangelist and his followers

adherent suggests a close and persistent attachment.

adherents to Marxism

disciple implies a devoted allegiance to the teachings of one chosen as a master.

disciples of Gandhi

partisan suggests a zealous often prejudiced attachment.

partisans of the President

Examples of follower in a Sentence

The party drew most of its followers from among young people. The band has a large group of followers. He had a reputation of being a follower, not a leader.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Today, Richards has 790,000 followers on Instagram, a Sunday Times bestselling book (The Anti-Inflammatory 30-day Reset), and wellness community called Found. — Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026 Pierre’s Instagram business account for her viral Japanese milk-bread cinnamon rolls boasts over 153,000 followers. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 Mihalich, who shares thrift shopping tips and finds with thousands of followers on Instagram, says buying used clothing is as much about saving money as sustainability. — Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 Still, on the instant messaging platform Telegram, the users were able to attract a larger audience of between 10,000 and 20,000 followers per channel. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for follower

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of follower was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing follower

Browse Nearby Words

follow block
follower
follower rest
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Follower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/follower. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

follower

noun
fol·​low·​er ˈfäl-ə-wər How to pronounce follower (audio)
1
: attendant entry 2 sense 1
2
: supporter, adherent
3
: disciple sense 1
4
: one who subscribes to a feed especially on social media
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All