follower may apply to people who attach themselves either to the person or beliefs of another.
an evangelist and his followers
adherent suggests a close and persistent attachment.
adherents to Marxism
disciple implies a devoted allegiance to the teachings of one chosen as a master.
disciples of Gandhi
partisan suggests a zealous often prejudiced attachment.
partisans of the President
Example Sentences
The party drew most of its followers from among young people. The band has a large group of followers. He had a reputation of being a follower, not a leader.
Recent Examples on the WebOn Tuesday, the company announced Twitter Circle, a way for users to tweet to a smaller group of people rather than their entire follower base. Salvador Rodriguez, WSJ, 1 Sep. 2022 Incorporating them into your short-video marketing strategy is a good option, especially if your brand is trying to build out a robust follower base. Lora Kratchounova, Forbes, 9 June 2022 After two years of building up his follower base, Jiggy's account was banned, seemingly overnight. Elaisha Stokes, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2022 Tess, Katherine’s true-believer follower, doesn’t register privacy as something to treasure. Kate Knibbs, Wired, 30 Mar. 2022 Who Travel follower, who was feeling anxious about wearing a bathing suit on an upcoming group trip.Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2021 After police raids sweep Changchun City, comic book illustrator Daxiong, a Falun Gong follower, is forced to flee and finds refuge in North America. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Aug. 2022 The budding relationship comes months after Brett announced his split from model Tina Louise in an Instagram story in December in response to a follower's question. Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2022 Several other families remained at Cajamarca with a follower named Víctor Chico, who had joined Segundo as a 10-year-old orphan. Dominic Green, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of follower was before the 12th century