pursuit
Americannoun
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the act of pursuing.
in pursuit of the fox.
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an effort to secure or attain; quest.
the pursuit of happiness.
- Synonyms:
- search
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any occupation, pastime, or the like, in which a person is engaged regularly or customarily.
literary pursuits.
- Synonyms:
- inclination, preoccupation, activity
noun
-
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the act of pursuing, chasing, or striving after
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( as modifier )
a pursuit plane
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an occupation, hobby, or pastime
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(in cycling) a race in which the riders set off at intervals along the track and attempt to overtake each other
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pursuit
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French purseute, from Vulgar Latin prōsequita (unrecorded), from Latin prōsecūta, feminine of prōsecūtus “followed,” past participle of prōsequī “to follow, continue”; see pursue
Explanation
A pursuit is a chase or a quest for something. When a guard runs after an escaping jewel thief, she's in pursuit — while the thief may have stolen the jewels because he was in pursuit of wealth. Whether it's a police officer in a car chase or a student working towards a college degree at a university in the tropics, both can be considered in “hot pursuit.” Derived from the Anglo-French purseute, pursuit means the act of pursuing or striving towards goals. In the late 14th century it implied persecution, but things have changed since then.
Vocabulary lists containing pursuit
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 1
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Latin Love, Vol III: seguire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In “Hunting: The Pursuit That Shaped Humanity,” he offers a comprehensive, authoritative history tracing hunting’s influence on culture and society through the ages.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
He also spoke briefly about his upcoming episodic HBO series, “Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Happiness,” a historical spoof that will retrace United States history for the country’s 250th founding anniversary.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
“Matisse: The Pursuit of Harmony” is a stunning gathering of more than 40 paintings, drawings and sculptures from 1900 to 1946.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026
Paige Greco: Australian won three medals at Tokyo 2020, including gold in the Pursuit C1-3 3,000m individual pursuit event.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025
Two Dutch researchers did a study in which they had groups of students answer forty-two fairly demanding questions from the board game Trivial Pursuit.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
