Kanji 従 accompany, obey, submit to Related words につれて and に従って both mean 'as X changes, Y changes accordingly', and are largely interchangeable, but につれて feels more natural in casual speech while に従って can sound slightly more formal or written.
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.
Etymology 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'.
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