Next vs. Follow: What's the Difference?
By Janet White & Aimie Carlson || Updated on May 23, 2024
"Next" indicates the immediate subsequent event or item, while "follow" refers to coming after something or someone in sequence or time.
Key Differences
"Next" refers to something that comes immediately after another in sequence. For example, if you are first in line, the person behind you is next. This term highlights the direct succession in an ordered list or series. "Follow," on the other hand, implies coming after someone or something in time or sequence but doesn't necessarily denote immediate succession. It can refer to anything that comes later, not just the immediate next item.
"Next" is often used to describe events, positions, or items in a list that are directly subsequent. For instance, the next chapter in a book is the one that immediately follows the current one. It suggests no gap between the current and subsequent items. "Follow" can denote a sequence where there may be intervals or unspecified gaps between items or events. For example, in a relay race, one runner follows another, which means they come after but not necessarily immediately.
"Next" is also commonly used to convey proximity in location or time. For instance, "the next house" means the house directly adjacent. It indicates a closeness that "follow" does not necessarily imply. "Follow" is broader in application, often used to suggest a succession that could span a longer period or distance. For example, a trend might follow another trend, meaning it occurs after it, but not immediately.
Comparison Chart
Sequence
Immediate subsequent
Coming after, not necessarily immediate
Usage
Events, positions, items
Sequence, time, behavior
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Proximity
Implies closeness
Can imply intervals or gaps
Examples
Next chapter, next in line
Trends follow, follow instructions
Time Span
Immediate future
Indefinite future
Next and Follow Definitions
Next
Nearest in space or position.
The bakery is next to the pharmacy.
Follow
Come after in time or order.
Winter follows autumn.
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Next
Coming immediately after the present one.
The next bus arrives in five minutes.
Follow
Move behind someone or something.
The dog follows its owner everywhere.
Next
Following in a sequence without interruption.
The next page of the book is missing.
Follow
Understand or track the course of.
I can't follow the plot of this movie.
Next
Following in order of importance.
She is next in line for a promotion.
Follow
To come or go after; proceed behind
Follow the usher to your seat.
Next
Nearest in space or position; adjacent
The next room.
Follow
To go after in pursuit
Would follow his enemy to the ends of the earth.
Next
Immediately following, as in time, order, or sequence
Next week.
The next item on the list.
Follow
To keep under surveillance
The agent followed the suspect around town.
Next
In the time, order, or place nearest or immediately following
Reading this book next.
Our next oldest child.
Follow
To move along the course of; take
We followed the path.
Next
On the first subsequent occasion
When next I write.
Follow
To move in the direction of; be guided by
Followed the sun westward.
Followed the signs to the zoo.
Next
The next person or thing
The next will be better.
Follow
To lie in the same path as
The road follows the old trading route.
Next
In place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining.
The man in the next bunk kept me awake all night with his snoring.
She lives a mile or two away, in the next village.
Follow
To be parallel to
The road follows the river.
Next
(obsolete) Most direct, or shortest or nearest in distance or time.
Follow
To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of
Follow a spiritual master.
Rebels who refused to follow their leader.
Next
Nearest in order, succession, or rank; immediately following (or sometimes preceding) in order.
Please turn to the next page.
On Wednesday next, I'm going to Spain.
The next chapter; the next week; the Sunday next before Easter
The man was driven by his love for money and his desire to become the next Bill Gates.
Follow
To adhere to; practice
Followed family traditions.
Next
Nearest in relationship. next of kin.}}
Next friend
Follow
To take as a model or precedent; imitate
Followed my example and resigned.
Next
Denotes the one immediately following the current or most recent one.
Next week would be a good time to meet.
I'll know better next time.
Follow
To act in agreement or compliance with; obey
Follow the rules.
Follow one's instincts.
Next
(of days of the week or months of the year) Closest in the future, or closest but one if the closest is very soon; of days, sometimes thought to specifically refer to the instance closest to seven days (one week) in the future.
The party is next Tuesday; that is, not tomorrow, but eight days from now.
When you say next Thursday, do you mean Thursday this week or Thursday next week?
Follow
To keep to or stick to
Followed the recipe.
Follow a diet.
Next
In a time, place, rank or sequence closest or following.
They live in the next closest house.
It's the next best thing to ice cream.
Follow
To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
Next
(conjunctive) So as to follow in time or sequence something previously mentioned.
First we removed all the handles; next, we stripped off the old paint.
Follow
To come after in order, time, or position
Night follows day.
Next
On the first subsequent occasion.
Financial panic, earthquakes, oil spills, riots. What comes next?
When we next meet, you'll be married.
Follow
To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of
She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit album with a tour.
Next
On the side of; nearest or adjacent to; next to.
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence of
Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
Next
The one that follows after this one.
Next, please, don't hold up the queue!
One moment she was there, the next she wasn't.
The week after next
Follow
To watch or observe closely
Followed the bird through binoculars.
Next
Nearest in place; having no similar object intervening.
Her princely guestWas next her side; in order sat the rest.
Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way.
Follow
To be attentive to; pay close heed to
Too sleepy to follow the sermon.
Next
Nearest in time; as, the next day or hour.
Follow
To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of
Follow the stock market.
Followed the local teams.
Next
Adjoining in a series; immediately preceding or following in order.
None could tell whose turn should be the next.
Follow
To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand
Do you follow my argument?.
Next
Nearest in degree, quality, rank, right, or relation; as, the next heir was an infant.
The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
Follow
To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
Next
In the time, place, or order nearest or immediately succeeding; as, this man follows next.
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence; result
If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
Next
Nearest in space or position; immediately adjoining without intervening space;
Had adjacent rooms
In the next room
The person sitting next to me
Our rooms were side by side
Follow
To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.
Next
(of elected officers) elected but not yet serving;
Our next president
Follow
(Games) A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.
Next
Immediately following in time or order;
The following day
Next in line
The next president
The next item on the list
Follow
(ambitransitive) To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the same path or direction, especially with the intent of catching.
Follow that car!
She left the room and I followed.
Next
At the time or occasion immediately following;
Next the doctor examined his back
Follow
(ambitransitive) To go or come after in a sequence.
B follows A in the alphabet.
We both ordered the soup, with roast beef to follow.
Next
The one coming immediately after.
Who is the next speaker?
Follow
(transitive) To carry out (orders, instructions, etc.).
Follow these instructions to the letter.
Follow
(transitive) To live one's life according to (religion, teachings, etc).
Follow
(transitive) To understand, to pay attention to.
Do you follow me?
Follow
(transitive) To watch, to keep track of (reports of) some event or person.
I followed the incumbent throughout the election.
My friends don't regularly follow the news.
Follow
To subscribe to see content from an account on a social media platform.
If you want to see more of our articles, follow us on Twitter.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To be a logical consequence of something.
It follows that if two numbers are not equal then one is larger than the other.
If you don't practise proper hygiene, illness is sure to follow.
Follow
(transitive) To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
Follow
In billiards and similar games, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it.
A follow shot
Follow
(social media) The act of following another user's online activity.
Follow
To go or come after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend.
It waves me forth again; I'll follow it.
Follow
To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute.
I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them.
Follow
To accept as authority; to adopt the opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as, to follow good advice.
Approve the best, and follow what I approve
Follow peace with all men.
It is most agreeable to some men to follow their reason; and to others to follow their appetites.
Follow
To copy after; to take as an example.
We had rather follow the perfections of them whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we love.
Follow
To succeed in order of time, rank, or office.
Follow
To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise.
Follow
To watch, as a receding object; to keep the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a course of thought or argument.
He followed with his eyes the flitting shade.
Follow
To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
O, had I but followed the arts!
O Antony! I have followed thee to this.
Follow
To go or come after; - used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to imitate.
Follow
The art or process of following; specif., in some games, as billiards, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it. Also used adjectively; as, follow shot.
Follow
To travel behind, go after, come after;
The ducklings followed their mother around the pond
Please follow the guide through the museum
Follow
Be later in time;
Tuesday always follows Monday
Follow
Come as a logical consequence; follow logically;
It follows that your assertion is false
The theorem falls out nicely
Follow
Travel along a certain course;
Follow the road
Follow the trail
Follow
Act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes;
He complied with my instructions
You must comply or else!
Follow these simple rules
Abide by the rules
Follow
Come after in time, as a result;
A terrible tsunami followed the earthquake
Follow
Behave in accordance or in agreement with;
Follow a pattern
Follow my example
Follow
Be next;
Mary plays best, with John and Sue following
Follow
Choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans;
She followed the feminist movement
The candidate espouses Republican ideals
Follow
To bring something about at a later time than;
She followed dinner with a brandy
He followed his lecture with a question and answer period
Follow
Imitate in behavior; take as a model;
Teenagers follow their friends in everything
Follow
Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something;
We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba
Trace the student's progress
Follow
Follow with the eyes or the mind;
Keep an eye on the baby, please!
The world is watching Sarajevo
She followed the men with the binoculars
Follow
Be the successor (of);
Carter followed Ford
Will Charles succeed to the throne?
Follow
Perform an accompaniment to;
The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano
Follow
Keep informed;
He kept up on his country's foreign policies
Follow
To be the product or result;
Melons come from a vine
Understanding comes from experience
Follow
Accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of;
Let's follow our great helmsman!
She followed a guru for years
Follow
Adhere to or practice;
These people still follow the laws of their ancient religion
Follow
Work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function;
He is a herpetologist
She is our resident philosopher
Follow
Keep under surveillance;
The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing
Follow
Follow in or as if in pursuit;
The police car pursued the suspected attacker
Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life
Follow
Grasp the meaning;
Can you follow her argument?
When he lectures, I cannot follow
Follow
Keep to;
Stick to your principles
Stick to the diet
Follow
Act according to instructions.
Please follow the guidelines carefully.
Follow
Engage with content on social media.
I follow several educational channels.
FAQs
Can "next" refer to location?
Yes, "next" can indicate something immediately adjacent in location.
Is "follow" used in social media?
Yes, "follow" is commonly used to describe subscribing to someone's updates or content on social media.
What does "next" imply in a sequence?
"Next" implies the very first item or event immediately following the current one.
Is "next" used to denote importance?
Yes, "next" can be used to indicate something following in order of importance.
Does "next" suggest closeness in time?
Yes, "next" often implies that something will occur soon after the current event.
How do you use "next" in a sentence?
e.g., "I will answer the next question."
Is "follow" used in directions?
Yes, "follow" is often used to indicate moving behind someone or something as per instructions.
How is "follow" used differently from "next"?
"Follow" refers to anything coming after another but doesn't necessarily indicate immediate succession.
What part of speech are "next" and "follow"?
"Next" can be an adjective, adverb, or noun, while "follow" is primarily a verb.
Can "follow" mean to understand something?
Yes, "follow" can mean to comprehend or keep track of a discussion or plot.
How do you use "follow" in a sentence?
e.g., "Please follow the instructions carefully."
Can "follow" have gaps in time?
Yes, "follow" can denote a sequence where events are separated by unspecified gaps.
Does "next" always indicate immediacy?
Yes, "next" suggests immediacy in sequence or position.
Can "next" refer to future events?
Yes, "next" can indicate events that will happen soon in the future.
Can "follow" refer to tracking behavior?
Yes, "follow" can mean to monitor or adhere to specific behavior.
What is a common phrase with "next"?
"Next in line" is a common phrase.
Does "next" have a spatial connotation?
Yes, "next" can indicate physical proximity.
Does "follow" have a broader application than "next"?
Yes, "follow" has a broader application and can refer to time, sequence, and adherence.
What is a common phrase with "follow"?
"Follow the leader" is a common phrase.
Is "next" or "follow" more specific in sequence?
"Next" is more specific, indicating the immediate subsequent item or event.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Co-written by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
