Aherence and Adherents, two closely related nouns, are pronounced in exactly the same way—at least for the plural form of adherent(s), as shown above. Both words come from the verb adhere, which means “to stick to something”; the stem -here also appears in coherent, inherent, and other words. Adherents are indeed people who “stick to” something, in a sense. And adherence means “the act or process of sticking to” something, in the same abstract sense.
Adherents are “followers” or “believers” of some specific belief system, practice, or teacher. Let's look at a few examples:
Adherents of the guru sit before him all day and absorb his teachings.
Adherence to the principles of Jainism is not easy; one cannot kill even plants or flies.
The prison warden expected 100% adherence to his rules.
These are both fairly common, although educated, words. They are a little bit high style for everyday conversation but, if the meaning fits, they can be used any time.
How to Use "Adherence" in a Sentence
- Your adherence to the guidelines is important for your overall success.
- Adhering to your diet will lead to weight loss.
- Adherence to the treatment plan is often difficult to measure when it comes to in-home settings.
- The patient’s medication adherence declined during their stay in the hospital.
- The company's dress code has high adherence among its employees, as everyone strictly follows it.
How to Use "Adherents" in a Sentence
- They are adherents of the old way of doing things.
- The need for a new word is an indication that people are getting more and more adherent to change.
- The show is an adherent to the traditional TV sitcom family structure, which is perhaps why it has such low ratings.
- She's an avid adherent to veganism.
- It is difficult for me to understand why anyone would be an adherent to that theory.