Follow vs. Track: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on September 26, 2023
Follow implies going or coming after; Track means to pursue so as to observe or monitor.
Key Differences
Follow typically implies the act of going or coming after someone or something in a spatial or temporal sequence. It’s often related to movement or progression, either physically or conceptually. Track, on the other hand, usually involves the monitoring or observing of the progress or movements of an individual or object, often involving attention to detail and focus.
Follow can also relate to adhering to, or abiding by, rules or instructions. In this context, to follow is to comply or act according to what has been set or instructed. Track, in this context, may refer to the meticulous observation and recording of events or behaviors, providing a detailed account of occurrences.
The term follow can also imply support or allegiance, such as following a leader or ideology. It suggests a degree of acceptance and alignment with thoughts, actions, or principles. Conversely, track in the context of information gathering, implies a level of scrutiny and examination, often aimed at understanding patterns, behaviors, or movements.
Follow may also signify understanding or grasping a concept or instruction, as in following a conversation or argument. It implies an element of comprehension and acknowledgment. In contrast, track, when referred to understanding progress or development, implies a continuous and focused observation to ascertain the status or condition of something.
In social media context, to follow means to subscribe to the updates or posts of another user. It’s a way of receiving information or staying informed about someone’s activities or thoughts. Track, in a similar digital context, may refer to monitoring or observing the online activities, behaviors, or communications of an individual or entity, usually involving technology and software.
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Comparison Chart
Action
Comes or goes after.
Monitors or observes progress or movements.
Purpose
To be in alignment or compliance.
To gather detailed information.
Context
Often used in spatial, temporal, or conceptual sense.
Commonly related to scrutiny and examination of patterns, behaviors, or movements.
Engagement Level
Can be passive or active.
Usually requires active engagement and focus.
Connotation
Can suggest support or allegiance.
May imply a detailed and meticulous observation.
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Follow and Track Definitions
Follow
To adhere to or abide by.
You must follow the rules of the game.
Track
To pursue so as to observe or monitor.
Track the progress of the project closely.
Follow
To support or have allegiance to.
Many follow the teachings of their leaders.
Track
To scrutinize or examine patterns and behaviors.
Scientists track the movements of the stars.
Follow
To come or go after; proceed behind
Follow the usher to your seat.
Track
To trace or search for something.
The detective could track the suspect’s whereabouts.
Follow
To go after in pursuit
Would follow his enemy to the ends of the earth.
Track
A mark or succession of marks left by something that has passed.
Follow
To keep under surveillance
The agent followed the suspect around town.
Track
A path, route, or course indicated by such marks
An old wagon track through the mountains.
Follow
To move along the course of; take
We followed the path.
Track
A path along which something moves; a course
Following the track of an airplane on radar.
Follow
To move in the direction of; be guided by
Followed the sun westward.
Followed the signs to the zoo.
Track
A course of action; a method of proceeding
On the right track for solving the puzzle.
Follow
To lie in the same path as
The road follows the old trading route.
Track
An intended or proper course
Putting a stalled project back on track.
Follow
To be parallel to
The road follows the river.
Track
A succession of ideas; a train of thought.
Follow
To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of
Follow a spiritual master.
Rebels who refused to follow their leader.
Track
Awareness of something occurring or passing
Keeping track of the score.
Lost all track of time.
Follow
To adhere to; practice
Followed family traditions.
Track
A course laid out for running or racing.
Follow
To take as a model or precedent; imitate
Followed my example and resigned.
Track
Athletic competition on such a course; track events.
Follow
To act in agreement or compliance with; obey
Follow the rules.
Follow one's instincts.
Track
Track and field.
Follow
To keep to or stick to
Followed the recipe.
Follow a diet.
Track
A rail or set of parallel rails upon which railroad cars or other vehicles run.
Follow
To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
Track
Tracks The boundary, formerly often delineated by train tracks, that separates two neighborhoods of different social class
Grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.
Follow
To come after in order, time, or position
Night follows day.
Track
Either of the continuous metal belts with which vehicles such as bulldozers and tanks move over the ground.
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.
Track
A metal groove or ridge that holds, guides, and reduces friction for a moving device or apparatus.
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence of
Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
Track
Any of several courses of study to which students are assigned according to ability, achievement, or needs
Academic, vocational, and general tracks.
Follow
To watch or observe closely
Followed the bird through binoculars.
Track
A distinct path, as along a length of film or magnetic tape, on which sound, images, or other information is recorded.
Follow
To be attentive to; pay close heed to
Too sleepy to follow the sermon.
Track
A distinct selection from an audio or video recording, usually containing an individual work or part of a larger work
The title track of an album.
Follow
To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of
Follow the stock market.
Followed the local teams.
Track
One of two or more separate recordings that are combined so as to be replayed simultaneously, as in stereophonic sound reproduction
Mixed the vocal track and instrumental track.
Follow
To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand
Do you follow my argument?.
Track
One of the concentric magnetic rings that form the separate data storage areas on a floppy disk or a hard disk.
Follow
To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
Track
A set of digital data encoded consecutively on an optical disc.
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence; result
If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
Track
Tracks(Slang) Needle marks on the skin from multiple intravenous injections, considered an indication of habitual drug use.
Follow
To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.
Track
To follow the tracks of; trail
Tracking game through the forest.
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.
Track
To leave marks made of (dirt or mud, for example) on a surface
The dog tracked mud on the rug.
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.
Track
To leave marks on (a floor, for example) when moving or traversing
You're tracking up my nice clean floor!.
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.
Track
To observe or monitor the course of (an aircraft, for example), as by radar.
Follow
(transitive) To carry out (orders, instructions, etc.).
Follow these instructions to the letter.
Track
To observe the progress of; follow
Tracking the company's performance daily.
Follow
(transitive) To live one's life according to (religion, teachings, etc).
Track
To determine or discover the location or origin of
Tracked the money to an offshore account.
Follow
(transitive) To understand, to pay attention to.
Do you follow me?
Track
To equip with a track.
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.
Track
To assign (a student) to a curricular track.
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.
Track
To follow a course; travel
The storm is tracking up the coast.
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.
Track
To keep a constant distance apart. Used of a pair of wheels.
Follow
(transitive) To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
Track
To be in alignment
The gears are not tracking properly.
Follow
In billiards and similar games, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it.
A follow shot
Track
To follow the undulations in the groove of a phonograph record. Used of a needle.
Follow
(social media) The act of following another user's online activity.
Track
To move across magnetic heads. Used of magnetic tape.
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.
Track
To move in relation to a subject being filmed. Used of a camera or camera crew.
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.
Track
A mark left by something that has passed along.
Follow the track of the ship.
Can you see any tracks in the snow?
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.
Track
A mark or impression left by the foot, either of man or animal.
The fox tracks were still visible in the snow.
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.
Track
The entire lower surface of the foot; said of birds, etc.
Follow
To succeed in order of time, rank, or office.
Track
A road or other similar beaten path.
Follow the track for a hundred metres.
Follow
To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise.
Track
Physical course; way.
Astronomers predicted the track of the comet.
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.
Track
A path or course laid out for a race, for exercise, etc.
The athletes ran round the track.
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.
Track
The direction and progress of someone or something; path.
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.
Track
(railways) The way or rails along which a train moves. Category:en:Rail transportation
They briefly closed the railway to remove debris found on the track.
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.
Track
A tract or area, such as of land.
Follow
To travel behind, go after, come after;
The ducklings followed their mother around the pond
Please follow the guide through the museum
Track
(slang) The street, as a prostitute's place of work.
Follow
Be later in time;
Tuesday always follows Monday
Track
Awareness of something, especially when arising from close monitoring.
Follow
Come as a logical consequence; follow logically;
It follows that your assertion is false
The theorem falls out nicely
Track
(automotive) The distance between two opposite wheels on a same axletree.
Follow
Travel along a certain course;
Follow the road
Follow the trail
Track
(automotive) caterpillar track
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
Track
(cricket) The pitch.
Follow
Come after in time, as a result;
A terrible tsunami followed the earthquake
Track
Sound stored on a record.
Follow
Behave in accordance or in agreement with;
Follow a pattern
Follow my example
Track
The physical track on a record.
Follow
Be next;
Mary plays best, with John and Sue following
Track
(music) A song or other relatively short piece of music, on a record, separated from others by a short silence.
My favourite track on the album is "Sunshine".
Follow
Choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans;
She followed the feminist movement
The candidate espouses Republican ideals
Track
A circular (never-ending) data storage unit on a side of magnetic or optical disk, divided into sectors.
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
Track
The racing events of track and field; track and field in general.
I'm going to try out for track next week.
Follow
Imitate in behavior; take as a model;
Teenagers follow their friends in everything
Track
A themed set of talks within a conference.
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
Track
Clipping of trackshoe
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
Track
To continue over time.
Follow
Be the successor (of);
Carter followed Ford
Will Charles succeed to the throne?
Track
(transitive) To observe the (measured) state of a person or object over time.
We will track the raven population over the next six months.
Follow
Perform an accompaniment to;
The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano
Track
(transitive) To monitor the movement of a person or object.
Agent Miles has been tracking the terrorist since Madrid.
Follow
Keep informed;
He kept up on his country's foreign policies
Track
(transitive) To match the movement or change of a person or object.
My height tracks my father's at my age, so I might end up as tall as him.
Follow
To be the product or result;
Melons come from a vine
Understanding comes from experience
Track
To travel so that a moving object remains in shot.
The camera tracked the ball even as the field of play moved back and forth, keeping the action in shot the entire time.
Follow
Accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of;
Let's follow our great helmsman!
She followed a guru for years
Track
To move.
The hurricane tracked further west than expected.
Follow
Adhere to or practice;
These people still follow the laws of their ancient religion
Track
(transitive) To traverse; to move across.
Follow
Work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function;
He is a herpetologist
She is our resident philosopher
Track
(transitive) To tow.
Follow
Keep under surveillance;
The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing
Track
(intransitive) To exhibit good cognitive function.
Is the patient tracking? Does he know where he is?
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
Track
(transitive) To follow the tracks of.
My uncle spent all day tracking the deer, whose hoofprints were clear in the mud.
Follow
Grasp the meaning;
Can you follow her argument?
When he lectures, I cannot follow
Track
(transitive) To discover the location of a person or object by following traces.
I tracked Joe to his friend's bedroom, where he had spent the night.
Follow
Keep to;
Stick to your principles
Stick to the diet
Track
(transitive) To make tracks on or to leave in the form of tracks.
In winter, my cat tracks mud all over the house.
Follow
To come or go after.
She will follow her brother to the store.
Track
To create a musical recording (a track).
Lil Kyle is gonna track with that DJ next week.
Follow
To understand or grasp.
Can you follow the logic of this argument?
Track
To create music using tracker software.
Follow
To subscribe to updates or posts on social media.
I follow several artists on Instagram.
Track
To make sense; to be consistent with known information
Track
A mark left by something that has passed along; as, the track, or wake, of a ship; the track of a meteor; the track of a sled or a wheel.
The bright track of his fiery car.
Track
A mark or impression left by the foot, either of man or beast; trace; vestige; footprint.
Far from track of men.
Track
The entire lower surface of the foot; - said of birds, etc.
Track
A road; a beaten path.
Behold Torquatus the same track pursue.
Track
Course; way; as, the track of a comet.
Track
A path or course laid out for a race, for exercise, etc.
Track
The permanent way; the rails.
Track
A tract or area, as of land.
Track
To follow the tracks or traces of; to pursue by following the marks of the feet; to trace; to trail; as, to track a deer in the snow.
It was often found impossible to track the robbers to their retreats among the hills and morasses.
Track
To draw along continuously, as a vessel, by a line, men or animals on shore being the motive power; to tow.
Track
A line or route along which something travels or moves;
The hurricane demolished houses in its path
The track of an animal
The course of the river
Track
Evidence pointing to a possible solution;
The police are following a promising lead
The trail led straight to the perpetrator
Track
A pair of parallel rails providing a runway for wheels
Track
A course over which races are run
Track
A distinct selection of music from a recording or a compact disc;
He played the first cut on the cd
The title track of the album
Track
An endless metal belt on which tracked vehicles move over the ground
Track
(computer science) one of the circular magnetic paths on a magnetic disk that serve as a guide for writing and reading data
Track
A groove on a phonograph recording
Track
A bar or bars of rolled steel making a track along which vehicles can roll
Track
Any road or path affording passage especially a rough one
Track
The act of participating in an athletic competition involving running on a track
Track
Carry on the feet and deposit;
Track mud into the house
Track
Observe or plot the moving path of something;
Track a missile
Track
Go after with the intent to catch;
The policeman chased the mugger down the alley
The dog chased the rabbit
Track
Travel across or pass over;
The caravan covered almost 100 miles each day
Track
Make tracks upon
Track
To gather detailed information.
She uses software to track her expenses.
Track
To observe the course or development of something.
He tracks his favorite bands' concert tours.
FAQs
Does follow imply support or allegiance?
Yes, to follow can imply support or allegiance to a leader or ideology.
What does it mean to follow someone?
To follow someone means to go or come after them.
Is tracking related to gathering information?
Yes, tracking is often related to gathering detailed information and understanding patterns or behaviors.
What is the essence of tracking?
Tracking primarily involves observing or monitoring progress or movements meticulously.
Can follow signify adherence?
Yes, follow can signify adhering to or abiding by rules or instructions.
Does following imply alignment?
Yes, following often implies alignment or compliance with someone or something.
Can one follow an argument?
Yes, one can follow an argument, meaning they understand or grasp it.
Is following passive?
Following can be either passive or active, depending on the context.
Is tracking an active process?
Typically, tracking is an active process requiring focus and engagement.
Can track be related to technology?
Yes, track is often related to using technology and software to monitor or observe information or activities.
Can track imply meticulous observation?
Absolutely, track often implies detailed and meticulous observation.
Can you track development?
Yes, you can track the development or progress of something to observe its course.
Can follow be used in social media context?
Yes, in social media context, to follow means to subscribe to updates or posts of another user.
Can track be used in scientific contexts?
Absolutely, track is commonly used in scientific contexts to observe and study behaviors, movements, or changes.
Can following be a form of acceptance?
Indeed, following can suggest a degree of acceptance and alignment with thoughts, actions, or principles.
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.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
