pursuant
Americanadjective
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proceeding after; following (usually followed byto ).
Pursuant to his studies he took a job in an office.
adverb
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according (usually followed byto ).
to do something pursuant to an agreement.
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in a manner conformable (usually followed byto ).
to act pursuant to the dictates of one's conscience.
adjective
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law in agreement or conformity
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archaic pursuing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pursuant
1425–75; late Middle English, variant of pursevant pursuivant
Explanation
Pursuant is used mainly in a legal sense to say something's in accordance with a particular law, ruling, or request. It's followed by the word "to." So you might say, "Pursuant to the judge's request, we'll provide additional testimony." Pursuant sounds a bit like pursue, and has a related meaning in the sense of "following" — but in this case it's an agreement or ruling that you're following. Pursuant comes from the French word pursuer, meaning "to follow with hostile intent." Over time the word lost its sense of hostility — unless of course you're angry when the lawyer tells you that pursuant to the investment policy, you can't withdraw all your money and run away to Paris.
Vocabulary lists containing pursuant
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
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Holes
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Just Mercy
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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.
"The team attempted to insert a central line pursuant to the protocol, but the procedure was unsuccessful," the statement continued.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
The post office would maintain its own list of people “who are enrolled with the USPS, pursuant to a process specified in the rulemaking.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
In spite of this development, “the parties continue to negotiate the terms of a lease agreement at Project Matador pursuant to the letter of intent,” Fermi wrote in the filing.
From Barron's • Dec. 12, 2025
“The United States has now been forced to bring the instant action to seek legal remedy for Defendants’ refusal to comply with lawful requests pursuant to federal law,” the lawsuit states.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2025
"You are released pursuant to an order from the judge."
From "Holes" by Louis Sachar
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.
