the following

noun

: the following one or ones
used to introduce a list, a quotation, etc.
The finalists are the following: Mary, James, and George.
The following are the times of departing trains: 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 8 p.m.

Examples of the following in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Payroll deductions were scheduled to begin on July 1, but they’re now slated to start on Jan. 1, 2027, with benefits kicking in the following year. Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025 Oh, and then there’s this: Only twice has the reigning men’s champion at Wimbledon been beaten in the first round the following year, Lleyton Hewitt in 2003 and Manuel Santana in 1967. Howard Fendrich, Baltimore Sun, 30 June 2025 By the following season, with the pieces in play, contending for a championship seemed within reach. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2025 Deputies promptly secured the scene and returned the following day with agents and analysts from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as well as two cadaver dog teams from Colorado Forensic Canines, authorities added. Toria Sheffield, People.com, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for the following

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The following.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20following. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!