1.PrepositionBased on what is said or stated by; on the authority of; by the order of.
"According to the directions, the glue takes 24 hours to dry.; According to Captain Smith, we are not to spend more than 20 minutes on this task."
2.PrepositionIn a manner conforming or corresponding to; in proportion to; in accordance with. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
"You might expect him to balk, according to his temperament."
3.PrepositionDepending on.
"They might come or not, according to their whim.; The young’s chances of getting a job vary according to whether they live in the Northern or the Southern Europe.."