in accordance with; according to; as X, then Y
Used to express that one thing changes or happens in proportion to or in line with another. Often follows a noun or a verb in dictionary form. The pattern is 'X に従って Y', meaning 'as X happens/changes, Y happens/changes accordingly'.
As we age, our physical strength declines.
Please assemble it according to the instructions.
に伴って and に従って both describe a change happening as another change occurs, but に伴って emphasizes a stronger, often inevitable or large-scale accompanying relationship, while に従って is more neutral and works well for gradual or proportional change.
に応じて means 'depending on' or 'in response to' and focuses on a matching or adaptive relationship, whereas に従って focuses on a proportional or sequential change as another thing progresses.
に従って can suggest following a rule, order, or sequence, whereas に連れ focuses purely on one thing changing gradually as another does.
に従って attaches to a noun or clause to mean 'in accordance with/as' (a particle-like pattern), while 従って alone is a sentence-initial conjunction meaning 'therefore'.
Derived from the verb 従う (したがう, 'to follow, to obey') in its te-form, combined with the particle に. Literally 'following X', it grammaticalized into a conjunction-like expression meaning 'in accordance with' or 'as X happens'.