English UsageGrammar guide

Adhere To: Standard Pattern

Adhere To: Standard Pattern records the directly documented Cambridge construction and keeps the guidance bounded to the evidenced complement pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

Quick answer

Cambridge documents “adhere to” for obeying or closely following a rule, standard, agreement, principle, or policy.

Key details

Confusion Familyusage-construction
Rule Familyphrasal-verb construction
Termsadhere to

Further guidance

Construction

Cambridge documents adhere to for continuing to obey, follow, believe in, or support a rule, standard, agreement, principle, or similar object.

Style Boundary

This page records the supported adhere-to construction and does not turn a documented phrasal verb into a universal rule for every sense of adhere.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. adhere to something — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Cambridge dictionary evidence for the phrasal-verb construction adhere to something.

Related guides

English Usage

Refer To: Standard Pattern

Refer To: Standard Pattern records the directly documented Cambridge construction and keeps the guidance bounded to the evidenced complement pattern rather than inventing a broader prohibition.

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