adherent

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: ad=her=ent

CIDE DICTIONARY

adherent, a. [L. adhaerens, -entis, p. pr.: cf. F. adhérent.].

•  Sticking; clinging; adhering.  Pope.  [1913 Webster]
•  Attached as an attribute or circumstance.  [1913 Webster]
•  Congenitally united with an organ of another kind, as calyx with ovary, or stamens with petals.  [1913 Webster]

adherent, n. 

•  One who adheres; one who adheres; one who follows a leader, party, or profession; a follower, or partisan; a believer in a particular faith or church.  [1913 Webster]
•  That which adheres; an appendage.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Follower; partisan; upholder; disciple; supporter; dependent; ally; backer.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

adherent, n. & adj.
--n.
1 a supporter of a party, person, etc.
2 a devotee of an activity.
--adj.
1 (foll. by to) faithfully observing a rule etc.
2 (often foll. by to) (of a substance) sticking fast.

Derivative

adherence n.

Etymology

F adh{eacute}rent (as ADHERE)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

adherent

n. A follower who has not yet obtained all that he expects to get.

THESAURUS

adherent

Averroist, Berkeleian, Cartesian, Comtist, Cynic, Cyrenaic, Eleatic, Epicurean, Eretrian, Fichtean, Hegelian, Heideggerian, Heraclitean, Herbartian, Humist, Husserlian, Kantian, Kierkegaardian, Leibnizian, Marxist, Megarian, Neo-Hegelian, Neo-Pythagorean, Neoplatonist, Parmenidean, Peripatetic, Platonist, Pyrrhonist, Pythagorean, Sartrian, Scholastic, Scotist, Socratist, Sophist, Spencerian, Spinozist, Stoic, Thomist, Wittgensteinian, adhesive, agnostic, animist, appendage, applauder, appreciator, attendant, backer, barnacle, booster, bramble, brier, buff, bulldog, burr, cavaliere servente, cement, champion, claqueur, cohort, commender, cosmotheist, courtier, creature, dangler, decal, decalcomania, deist, dependent, dialectical materialist, disciple, dualist, dummy, eclectic, egoist, empiricist, encomiast, essentialist, eulogist, eulogizer, existentialist, extoller, fan, figurehead, flunky, follower, following, gillie, glue, goon, gunk, hanger-on, hedonist, heeler, henchman, homme de cour, humanist, hylomorphist, hylotheist, hylozoist, idealist, immaterialist, individualist, intuitionist, jackal, lackey, lauder, leech, limpet, logical empiricist, man, materialist, mechanist, mentalist, minion, molasses, monist, mucilage, myrmidon, mystic, naturalist, nominalist, ontologist, organic mechanist, organicist, panegyrist, panpsychist, pantheist, parasite, partisan, paste, physicist, plaster, plugger, positivist, pragmatist, praiser, prickle, promoter, psychist, public, puffer, puppet, pursuer, pursuivant, rationalist, realist, remora, retainer, rooter, satellite, sectary, secular humanist, sensationalist, sensist, servant, shadow, skeptic, sticker, stooge, substantialist, successor, supporter, sycophant, syncretist, syrup, tagtail, tail, theist, thorn, thug, tout, touter, trainbearer, transcendentalist, upholder, utilitarian, vitalist, voluntarist, votary, ward heeler, zetetic

ROGET THESAURUS

adherent

Auxiliary

N auxiliary, recruit, assistant, adjuvant, adjutant, ayudante, coaid, adjunct, help, helper, help mate, helping hand, midwife, colleague, partner, mate, confrere, cooperator, coadjutor, coadjutrix, collaborator, ally, friend, confidant, fidus Achates, pal, buddy, alter ego, confederate, accomplice, complice, accessory, accessory after the fact, particeps criminis, socius criminis, aide-de-camp, secretary, clerk, associate, marshal, right-hand, right-hand man, Friday, girl Friday, man Friday, gopher, gofer, candle- holder, bottle-holder, handmaid, servant, puppet, cat's-paw, jackal, tool, dupe, stooge, ame damnee, satellite, adherent, votary, sectarian, secretary, seconder, backer, upholder, abettor, advocate, partisan, champion, patron, friend at court, mediator, angel (theater, entertainment), friend in need, Jack at a pinch, deus ex machina, guardian angel, tutelary genius.