following / supporters
Loading your saved state.
following
The entire group of people who support a particular person, idea, club, or political party.
Die Anhängerschaft des Fußballvereins feierte den Sieg ihrer Mannschaft.
The football club's following celebrated their team's victory.
The word is made up of 'Anhänger' (supporter / follower) and the ending '-schaft' (-ship). The ending '-schaft' forms collective nouns that refer to a group of people. An 'Anhängerschaft' (following) is therefore the totality of all supporters.
Die Anhängerschaft der Band reiste für das Konzert aus dem ganzen Land an.
The band's following traveled from all over the country for the concert.
Although 'Anhängerschaft' (following) describes a group of many people, the noun is grammatically singular. The verb in the sentence is therefore also singular.
Die Anhängerschaft des Politikers wächst stetig.
The politician's following is growing steadily.
The word is often used with a genitive or the preposition 'von' (of / from) to show whose supporters are meant. Typical examples are 'die Anhängerschaft eines Vereins' (the following of a club), 'einer Partei' (of a party), or 'eines Künstlers' (of an artist).
Die treue Anhängerschaft von diesem Autor kauft jedes seiner neuen Bücher.
This author's loyal following buys every one of his new books.
basis / base
'die Basis' and 'die Anhängerschaft' can both refer to a group of people connected to an organization, party, or idea. 'die Basis' especially means the ordinary members, in contrast to the leadership. So it is about the people lower down in the organization. 'die Anhängerschaft' means the people who support someone, an idea, a club, or a party. These people do not necessarily have to be official members. Learners may confuse the words because both describe groups of supporters. 'Basis' fits better within an organization, while 'Anhängerschaft' fits better for external or general support.
Nach dem erfolgreichen Konzert wurde die Anhängerschaft der Band noch größer.
After the successful concert, the band's following grew even larger.
Die Parteiführung will vor der Entscheidung erst mit der Basis sprechen.
The party leadership wants to speak with the grassroots before making the decision.