ADHERENCE

attachment, adherence, adhesion

(noun) faithful support for a cause or political party or religion; “attachment to a formal agenda”; “adherence to a fat-free diet”; “the adhesion of Seville was decisive”

adhesiveness, adhesion, adherence, bond

(noun) the property of sticking together (as of glue and wood) or the joining of surfaces of different composition; “the mutual adhesiveness of cells”; “a heated hydraulic press was required for adhesion”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

adherence (countable and uncountable, plural adherences)

A close physical union of two objects.

Faithful support for some cause.

(medicine) An extent to which a patient continues an agreed treatment plan.

Source: Wiktionary

Ad*her"ence, n. Etym: [Cf. F. adhérence, LL. adhaerentia.]

1. The quality or state of adhering.

2. The state of being fixed in attachment; fidelity; steady attachment; adhesion; as, adherence to a party or to opinions.

Syn.

– Adherence, Adhesion. These words, which were once freely interchanged, are now almost entirely separated. Adherence is no longer used to denote physical union, but is applied, to mental states or habits; as, a strict adherence to one's duty; close adherence to the argument, etc. Adhesion is now confined chiefly to the physical sense, except in the phrase "To give in one's adhesion to a cause or a party."

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition