pursuit

American  

[per-soot] / pərˈsut /

noun

• pursuits
  plural

1. the act of pursuing.

   in pursuit of the fox.

   Synonyms:

   hunt, chase

2. an effort to secure or attain; quest.

   the pursuit of happiness.

   Synonyms:

   search

3. any occupation, pastime, or the like, in which a person is engaged regularly or customarily.

   literary pursuits.

   Synonyms:

   inclination, preoccupation, activity

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pursuit British  

/ pəˈsjuːt /

noun

1. 1. the act of pursuing, chasing, or striving after

   2. ( as modifier )

      a pursuit plane

2. an occupation, hobby, or pastime

3. (in cycling) a race in which the riders set off at intervals along the track and attempt to overtake each other

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pursuits
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pursuit pursuits

The desert-dwelling, nonverbal cartoon character is suing the company for all the injuries its products have caused him in his pursuit of his would-be dinner, the Roadrunner.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

In “Fed Up,” he takes us on a provocative journey in pursuit of the definitive art of eating and humankind’s optimal menu.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Strictly, money can’t buy you love, but it can be a factor in the pursuit of it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

In May, they made a series of social media posts brutally mocking the pursuit by the Spanish champions of their player to millions of followers.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

Penelope thought back to the night of the holiday ball, and the mad chase Nutsawoo had led through the house, with the children in pursuit.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Already a successful publicly traded company thanks to its cash-printing Search business, Google had the financial resources to support DeepMind’s scientific pursuits — for a while, at least.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

The dangers once again are that U.S. automakers might be too late to catch current trends, or that these pursuits distract them from their core business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Cruz and Bardem have always encouraged their children’s creative pursuits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

The result is that people now see shared pursuits — a weekly tennis game, a book club, a knitting circle — as potential products to claim and monetize.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

After four years of eating bug-infested rations, sleeping in cold and damp tents, and slogging night and day through thickets and mud, American men had had enough of rough pursuits.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• accomplishment
• activity
• career
• occupation
• undertaking