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Glite Dictionary
according to

according to

∞ 1.0
As someone or something says
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : según
  • And that became the most surveilled place in the world, according to some reports.
  • According to reports
  • According to the news
  • According to experts

So that's the way the machine works, according to the officer.

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Examples

  • After presenting it to the group, they adjusted it according to group members' feedback.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Approaches to lipid management can vary according to the individual's own circumstances.

    Academic text (2011)

  • But for whom? And according to whose standards?

  • So, you know, according to them, it's going to happen.

    The Prof G Pod – Scott Galloway

  • Every night, your build will change according to that information.

  • Everything went according to plan.

    The Killer (2024)

  • All of these are structures according to natural law.

    Stanford

  • User access is secured and controlled according to user, group, and role levels.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Well, mass and energy are the same according to Einstein.

    Shawn Ryan Show

  • According to them, it's going to happen.

Synonyms

reportedly
vsaccording to
  • Literature
234 3.7

As people or the news say

is based on a specific person's or source's own statement
per
vsaccording to
202 1.0

As a person, rule, or document says

is based on what someone says rather than an instruction
in the eyes of
vsaccording to
65 3.5

What someone or a group thinks about something

is based on a statement or report rather than personal viewpoint
pursuant
vsaccording to
  • Formal
50 7.6

Following a law, rule, or official document

refers to information given by a source rather than legal compliance

Antonyms

contrary
219 3.5

Something that is the opposite of what was said or expected

How Subjective

according to
∞ 1.0
objectively
61 4.5

Surface Forms

according to main

Morphology

accord + to

The phrase 'according to' is compositionally built from 'accord' (in harmony or conformity) + 'to', yielding the sense 'in accordance with' or 'in agreement with', which readily maps to 'as stated or reported by'. This is a standard, cross-linguistically common compositional pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrase according to comes from the old idea of being according, which meant 'in agreement', to someone or something. Think of a note that points to who said something, so according to means 'as someone or something says'.