according to

Definition

As stated, reported, or indicated by a specific source; used to attribute information to a particular person, document, organization, or authority. Allows the speaker to present information while crediting its origin.

Example Usage

According to the recent study, coffee consumption has increased by 15% over the past five years.

Origin

From Old French 'acorder,' meaning 'to reconcile' or 'to agree'; evolved to mean 'as agreed' or 'as stated by.'

Fun Fact

Unlike 'sources say,' 'according to' requires a named or specific source, making it more transparent and traceable in formal writing.

Source: Definition backfill (hailey)

Related Terms

Beginner

pianist

Someone who plays the piano, with a pronunciation (pee-AN-ist) that requires careful enunciation to avoid unfortunate anatomical misunderstandings. A constant reminder that classical music terminology is one mispronounced syllable away from disaster.

🎓 Education / Academia

Beginner

academic integrity policy

The institutional rulebook defining academic honesty, plagiarism, and cheating—basically the terms and conditions that students don't read before clicking 'I agree.' The legal framework for catching and punishing academic dishonesty.

🎓 Education / Academia

Intermediate

Oxymoronical

Containing or resembling an oxymoron; combining contradictory or opposite terms or ideas in a way that creates paradox or irony. It describes something that has the quality of being self-contradictory.

🎓 Education / Academia

Intermediate

service-learning

Pedagogical approach combining community service with academic instruction, where students apply classroom theory to real-world problems while padding their resumes. Volunteering meets course credit meets feel-good institutional marketing.

🎓 Education / Academia

Intermediate

allegory

A narrative or artistic work in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas or moral lessons rather than existing as literal elements. The story operates on multiple levels, with a surface narrative that conveys a deeper symbolic or didactic meaning.

🎓 Education / Academia

Beginner

pelican

A large waterbird with a long bill and a distinctive throat pouch used for catching and storing fish.

🎓 Education / Academia

Translate This Term

See “according to” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Intermediate

trusts

Legal arrangements where one party holds property or assets for the benefit of another, creating a three-way relationshi...