according to

preposition

1

: in conformity with

2

: as stated or attested by

3

: depending on

Examples of according to in a Sentence

According to rumors I've heard, he was fired for stealing from the company.

She always did everything according to the rules.

I cooked the rice according to the directions on the box.

He was paid according to how quickly he worked.

Recent Examples on the Web

Only 44% of adults ages 18 to 29 describe themselves as thriving, according to Gallup, 20 points lower than the high measured in 2010. — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026

These efficient hospitals had a negative 1% margin from Medicare in 2024 and are expected to make money on Medicare this year, according to MedPAC. — Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026

In the past two years, a record number of 4,137 Japanese companies fully withdrew from China, according to Teikoku’s data. — Anniek Bao,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026

Data center investment currently amounts to nearly 18% of the country’s GDP—the highest share globally, according to HSBC analysts. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English acordyng to, from acordyng "agreeing" (from present participle of accorden "to accord entry 1") + to to entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for according to

• hullabaloo
• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup

Kids Definition

according to

preposition

1

: in agreement with

did everything according to the rules

2

: as stated by

according to the experts

3

: depending on

dress according to the weather