Other forms: adhered, adhering, adheres
To adhere is to stick firmly to a surface, or to a rule. Adhere to the wall, adhere to the guidelines, adhere strictly.
The physical sense is technical: adhesion is sticking between different substances, against cohesion, which is a substance sticking to itself. The figurative sense takes to and is formal — adhere to the rules, adhere to a treaty. Note adherent, meaning a supporter; adhesive; and that the Latin means to stick to, from haerere, which also gives hesitate.
1verbadhereTo stick firmly to a surface.
“The stickers won't adhere properly if the surface is wet or dusty.”
2verbfollowTo follow a rule closely.
“All staff must adhere to the safety rules at all times.”
adhere is a sticking or following.
Latin adhaerere is ad plus haerere, to stick. Hesitate, inherent and cohere come from the same sticking.
Latin
adhaereō
Middle English
*adheren
English, today
adhere
Built from
From Middle English adheren, from Latin adhaereō. From Middle English adheren (suggested by Middle English adherande (“adhering, adherent”)), from Latin adhaereō, adhaesum: ad (“to”) + haerēre (“to stick”). Compare French adhérer.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA