adhered

Adhered is the past tense and past participle of the verb adhere. It can describe a physical attachment, as in something that sticks to a surface, or a figurative commitment, as in following rules, guidelines, or a belief. Examples include a label that adhered to a bottle or a student who adhered to a medication schedule.

Etymology and related forms: Adhere comes from Latin adhærēre, meaning “to cling to,” formed from ad- (toward) and haerēre (to stick). The word entered English via Old French and Latin into Middle English. Related terms include adherent (a person who adheres or a supporting follower), adhesion (the act or state of sticking), and adhesive (a substance that produces adhesion).

Usage and nuance: In physical contexts, adhered emphasizes sticking or being attached. In abstract contexts, it emphasizes compliance, conformity, or loyalty. The standard construction is adhere to followed by a noun or gerund: “adhere to the rules,” “adhered to the schedule.” The form adhered is commonly used in the same sense to describe something that has already been attached or a person who has maintained compliance.

Common collocations and distinctions: adhere to, adhered to, adherent, adhesion, and adhesive are the core family. Adhere to is preferred for guidelines and standards in formal writing; in everyday language, stick to can be a more colloquial substitute. The word should not be confused with similarly sounding terms such as erred or inherent, which have unrelated meanings.

Examples: The label adhered firmly to the jar. The team adhered to the safety protocol throughout the project. Patients who adhered to the prescribed regimen had better outcomes.