following

noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfɒləʊɪŋ/ / /ˈfɒləɪn/ / /ˈfɑloʊɪŋ/

Etymology: By surface analysis, follow + -ing.

Coming next, either in sequence or in time.
“See the following section.”
“Towards the following morning, the thermometer fell to 5°; and at daylight, there was not an atom of water to be seen in any direction.”
About to be specified.
“The following words have no definition[…]”
Blowing in the direction of travel, as opposed to headwind; downwind.
“The following wind sped us on our way.”

Etymology: By surface analysis, follow + -ing.

A group of followers, attendants or admirers; an entourage.
“He had a loyal following.”
“And White Hart Lane was stunned when Rovers scored just five minutes after the restart in front of their away following.”
Vocation; business; profession.
A thing or things to be mentioned immediately after.
“The following is a recommendation letter from the president.”
“The following are the three most important questions.”
An account which is followed.
“When a new user joins Weibo, he should register Weibo and get a unique ID, and then he takes some existing users as his followings and waits for others to follow him.”
“A follower can follow any other users and receive any kind of tweets from his or her followings.”

Etymology: By surface analysis, follow + -ing.

After, subsequent to.
“Following the meeting, we all had a chat.”
“We published our findings following a thorough review of others' earlier reports.”
In accordance with; as per.
“Following all relevant safety instructions, administer a dose of the corticosteroid.”
“Administer a dose of the corticosteroid, following all relevant safety instructions.”

Etymology: By surface analysis, follow + -ing.