Other forms: followers
A follower is a person who has chosen to see everything you post. Gain followers, a million followers, follower count.
On social media the count is public, which is why it became a currency — and why buying fake ones is an industry. The older senses are a disciple or an adherent: a follower of Christ, followers of the movement. Note that follower and following do different work: a following is the whole body of them. Note also that the word is Old English and unchanged in form.
1nounfollowerA person who has chosen to see everything you post.
“After her cooking video went viral, she woke up to thousands of new followers.”
2nounadherentAn adherent of a person or movement.
“The preacher's followers gathered in the square to hear him speak.”
follower is an adherent.
Old English folgere is follow plus -er. Dutch volger, German Folger and Swedish följare are built identically from the same verb.
Old English
folgere — follower; attendant; disciple
Middle English
folwer
English, today
follower
From Middle English folwer, folwere, folewer, from Old English folgere (“follower; attendant; disciple”), equivalent to follow + -er. Cognate with stq Foulger, West Frisian folger, Dutch volger, German Folger, Swedish följare.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA