Following vs. Follow — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 23, 2024
"Following" refers to the action of tracking or being updated on someone's activities, whereas "follow" is the verb form indicating the act of pursuing or subscribing.
Difference Between Following and Follow
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Key Differences
"Following" is commonly used as a gerund or a present participle that describes the ongoing action or state of someone who tracks or keeps up with others, typically on social media. On the other hand, "follow" is the base form of the verb that refers to the act of going or coming after someone or something, both physically and figuratively.
While "following" implies a continuous or habitual action, "follow" can be used to describe a single instance or a repeated action. "Follow" often requires an object to complete its meaning, whereas "following" can stand alone as a noun.
In the context of social media, "following" specifically refers to the users one subscribes to and receives updates from. Conversely, to "follow" someone on social media means to start receiving their updates by subscribing to their profile.
"Following" can also function as a preposition, meaning after or as a result of. For example, "Following the meeting, we will decide the next steps." In contrast, "follow" can be modified to form phrases like "follow up" which implies taking additional steps after an initial action.
Comparison Chart
Grammatical Form
Gerund/Participle; can be a noun or adjective
Verb (base form)
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Usage
Ongoing action or state
Specific action, can be single or repeated
Contexts
Social media, sequences, consequences
Direct actions, instructions, guidance
Example as a Noun
"Your following on social media is growing."
N/A
Functionality
Can function independently or as a preposition
Needs an object or additional context
Compare with Definitions
Following
The act of tracking someone's activities or staying updated.
His following on Instagram has increased significantly.
Follow
To subscribe to the updates of someone on social media.
He hit the follow button on her profile.
Following
Related to being a follower in a literal or figurative sense.
He gained a massive following by posting daily updates.
Follow
To go or come after someone or something.
The cat would always follow her around the house.
Following
A group of people who subscribe to updates from someone.
The celebrity thanked her following for their support.
Follow
To obey or act according to (a rule, instructions).
Follow the signs to reach the exit.
Following
Used as a preposition, it means after or as a result of.
Following her instructions, they found the hidden key.
Follow
To understand the development of something.
It's hard to follow the plot of this movie.
Following
Pertaining to what comes next in a sequence.
The following items are required for the trip.
Follow
To take as a model; to emulate.
She decided to follow her brother's career path.
Following
Following is a 1998 independent neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It tells the story of a young man who follows strangers around the streets of London and is drawn into a criminal underworld when he fails to keep his distance.
Follow
Go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead); move or travel behind
The men followed in another car
She went back into the house, and Ben followed her
Following
Coming next in time or order
In the following chapter.
Follow
Come after in time or order
The rates are as follows
The six years that followed his restoration
Following
Now to be enumerated
The following people will report for duty.
Follow
Act according to (an instruction or precept)
He has difficulty in following written instructions
Following
Blowing in the same direction as the course of a ship or aircraft. Used of wind.
Follow
Pay close attention to
I've been following this discussion closely
Following
A group or gathering of admirers, adherents, or disciples
A lecturer with a large following.
Follow
Practise (a trade or profession).
Following
The item or items to be mentioned next
Please buy the following.
Follow
To come or go after; proceed behind
Follow the usher to your seat.
Following
Subsequent to; after
Following dinner, brandy was served in the study.
Follow
To go after in pursuit
Would follow his enemy to the ends of the earth.
Following
Coming next, either in sequence or in time.
See the following section.
Follow
To keep under surveillance
The agent followed the suspect around town.
Following
About to be specified.
The following words have no definition...
Follow
To move along the course of; take
We followed the path.
Following
(of a wind) Blowing in the direction of travel.
The following wind sped us on our way.
Follow
To move in the direction of; be guided by
Followed the sun westward.
Followed the signs to the zoo.
Following
After, subsequent to.
Following the meeting, we all had a chat.
Follow
To lie in the same path as
The road follows the old trading route.
Following
A group of followers, attendants or admirers; an entourage.
He had a loyal following.
Follow
To be parallel to
The road follows the river.
Following
Vocation; business; profession.
Follow
To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of
Follow a spiritual master.
Rebels who refused to follow their leader.
Following
(with definite article, treated as singular or plural) A thing or things to be mentioned immediately after.
The following is a recommendation letter from the president.
The following are the three most important questions.
Follow
To adhere to; practice
Followed family traditions.
Following
Present participle of follow
Follow
To take as a model or precedent; imitate
Followed my example and resigned.
Following
One's followers, adherents, or dependents, collectively.
Follow
To act in agreement or compliance with; obey
Follow the rules.
Follow one's instincts.
Following
Vocation; business; profession.
Follow
To keep to or stick to
Followed the recipe.
Follow a diet.
Following
Next after; succeeding; ensuing; as, the assembly was held on the following day.
Follow
To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
Following
In the field of a telescope) In the direction from which stars are apparently moving (in consequence of the earth's rotation); as, a small star, north following or south following. In the direction toward which stars appear to move is called preceding.
Follow
To come after in order, time, or position
Night follows day.
Following
A group of followers or enthusiasts
Follow
To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of
She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit album with a tour.
Following
The act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture;
The culprit started to run and the cop took off in pursuit
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence of
Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
Following
Going or proceeding or coming after in the same direction;
The crowd of following cars made the occasion seem like a parade
Tried to outrun the following footsteps
Follow
To watch or observe closely
Followed the bird through binoculars.
Following
In the desired direction;
A following wind
Follow
To be attentive to; pay close heed to
Too sleepy to follow the sermon.
Following
Immediately following in time or order;
The following day
Next in line
The next president
The next item on the list
Follow
To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of
Follow the stock market.
Followed the local teams.
Following
About to be mentioned or specified;
The following items
Follow
To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand
Do you follow my argument?.
Follow
To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence; result
If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
Follow
To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.
Follow
(Games) A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the same path or direction, especially with the intent of catching.
Follow that car!
She left the room and I followed.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To go or come after in a sequence.
B follows A in the alphabet.
We both ordered the soup, with roast beef to follow.
Follow
(transitive) To carry out (orders, instructions, etc.).
Follow these instructions to the letter.
Follow
(transitive) To live one's life according to (religion, teachings, etc).
Follow
(transitive) To understand, to pay attention to.
Do you follow me?
Follow
(transitive) To watch, to keep track of (reports of) some event or person.
I followed the incumbent throughout the election.
My friends don't regularly follow the news.
Follow
To subscribe to see content from an account on a social media platform.
If you want to see more of our articles, follow us on Twitter.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To be a logical consequence of something.
It follows that if two numbers are not equal then one is larger than the other.
If you don't practise proper hygiene, illness is sure to follow.
Follow
(transitive) To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
Follow
In billiards and similar games, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it.
A follow shot
Follow
(social media) The act of following another user's online activity.
Follow
To go or come after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend.
It waves me forth again; I'll follow it.
Follow
To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute.
I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them.
Follow
To accept as authority; to adopt the opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as, to follow good advice.
Approve the best, and follow what I approve
Follow peace with all men.
It is most agreeable to some men to follow their reason; and to others to follow their appetites.
Follow
To copy after; to take as an example.
We had rather follow the perfections of them whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we love.
Follow
To succeed in order of time, rank, or office.
Follow
To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise.
Follow
To watch, as a receding object; to keep the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a course of thought or argument.
He followed with his eyes the flitting shade.
Follow
To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
O, had I but followed the arts!
O Antony! I have followed thee to this.
Follow
To go or come after; - used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to imitate.
Follow
The art or process of following; specif., in some games, as billiards, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it. Also used adjectively; as, follow shot.
Follow
To travel behind, go after, come after;
The ducklings followed their mother around the pond
Please follow the guide through the museum
Follow
Be later in time;
Tuesday always follows Monday
Follow
Come as a logical consequence; follow logically;
It follows that your assertion is false
The theorem falls out nicely
Follow
Travel along a certain course;
Follow the road
Follow the trail
Follow
Act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes;
He complied with my instructions
You must comply or else!
Follow these simple rules
Abide by the rules
Follow
Come after in time, as a result;
A terrible tsunami followed the earthquake
Follow
Behave in accordance or in agreement with;
Follow a pattern
Follow my example
Follow
Be next;
Mary plays best, with John and Sue following
Follow
Choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans;
She followed the feminist movement
The candidate espouses Republican ideals
Follow
To bring something about at a later time than;
She followed dinner with a brandy
He followed his lecture with a question and answer period
Follow
Imitate in behavior; take as a model;
Teenagers follow their friends in everything
Follow
Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something;
We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba
Trace the student's progress
Follow
Follow with the eyes or the mind;
Keep an eye on the baby, please!
The world is watching Sarajevo
She followed the men with the binoculars
Follow
Be the successor (of);
Carter followed Ford
Will Charles succeed to the throne?
Follow
Perform an accompaniment to;
The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano
Follow
Keep informed;
He kept up on his country's foreign policies
Follow
To be the product or result;
Melons come from a vine
Understanding comes from experience
Follow
Accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of;
Let's follow our great helmsman!
She followed a guru for years
Follow
Adhere to or practice;
These people still follow the laws of their ancient religion
Follow
Work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function;
He is a herpetologist
She is our resident philosopher
Follow
Keep under surveillance;
The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing
Follow
Follow in or as if in pursuit;
The police car pursued the suspected attacker
Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life
Follow
Grasp the meaning;
Can you follow her argument?
When he lectures, I cannot follow
Follow
Keep to;
Stick to your principles
Stick to the diet
Common Curiosities
What are the implications of "follow" in a command?
When used as a command, "follow" instructs someone to come after the speaker or to obey a directive.
Can "following" be used as a verb?
"Following" is the gerund or participle form of "follow," so it functions as part of verb tenses but can also act as a noun.
What does it mean to "follow" someone?
To "follow" someone means to subscribe to their updates or to physically go after them.
What grammatical role does "follow" play in a sentence?
"Follow" acts as the main verb and typically requires a direct object to complete its meaning.
What does "follow suit" mean?
"Follow suit" is an idiomatic expression meaning to do the same thing as someone else.
Why is "follow" important in instructions?
In instructions, "follow" is crucial as it guides actions and ensures that procedures are executed correctly.
How is "following" used differently than "follow"?
"Following" is often used as a noun or preposition, indicating a continuous state, whereas "follow" is a verb indicating the action itself.
What does "following" mean on social media?
"Following" refers to the people or accounts one has subscribed to receive updates from.
How does one increase their "following"?
One can increase their "following" by engaging with others, providing valuable content, and being active on social platforms.
What is the difference between "follow back" and "follow"?
"Follow back" refers to subscribing to someone's updates after they have followed you, while "follow" can be unilateral.
How does "following" work as a preposition?
"Following" works as a preposition to indicate something that happens after or as a result of another event.
What does "follow through" refer to?
"Follow through" refers to completing an action or commitment that one has started.
Is "following" passive?
As a gerund or participle, "following" might imply a passive engagement, but it depends on the context.
Can "following" stand alone in a sentence?
Yes, "following" can stand alone, especially when used as a noun indicating one's audience or subscribers.
How can "following" impact online influence?
A larger "following" can significantly increase a person's or brand's influence and reach on social media platforms.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
