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.
It says the government must get an order authorizing electronic surveillance through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court under Title 1 or “a warrant issued pursuant to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure by a court.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
Groupe Bruxelles Lambert did so through the sale of six million Concentrix shares on April 29 in a block trade pursuant to Rule 144 at a price of $22.25 per share.
From Barron's ● May 8, 2026
"The referee in consultation with the Grand Slam supervisor may declare a default for either a single violation of this code or pursuant to the point penalty schedule."
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
We have a Supreme Court that not only has the power to say what the law is, pursuant to Chief Justice John Marshall and Marbury v.
From Slate ● Dec. 17, 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.
