seek
Americanverb (used with object)
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to go in search or quest of.
to seek the truth.
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to try to find or discover by searching or questioning.
to seek the solution to a problem.
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to try to obtain.
to seek fame.
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to try or attempt (usually followed by an infinitive).
to seek to convince a person.
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to go to.
to seek a place to rest.
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to ask for; request.
to seek advice.
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Archaic. to search or explore.
verb (used without object)
idioms
verb
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to try to find by searching; look for
to seek a solution
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(also intr) to try to obtain or acquire
to seek happiness
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to attempt (to do something); try
I'm only seeking to help
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(also intr) to enquire about or request (something)
to seek help
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to go or resort to
to seek the garden for peace
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an archaic word for explore
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of seek
First recorded before 900; Middle English seken, Old English sēcan; cognate with German suchen, Old Norse sœkja, Gothic sōkjan; akin to Latin sāgīre “to perceive by scent” ( see presage, sagacity); cf. beseech
Explanation
If you seek an accordion player for your new polka band, it means you are looking for a band mate. When you seek something, you try to find it. It's possible to seek fame, or snacks, or a college degree, or approval — as long as you're looking for it, or longing for it, you're seeking it. The origins of the word seek go back to the Latin word sagire, which means "to perceive keenly by scent." Imagine a dog tracking a rabbit, sniffing the ground and following its scent, and you'll know exactly what it means to seek something.
Vocabulary lists containing seek
"Earthquake"
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Word Generation Social Studies - Experiences of Two Children in Warn-torn Sudan
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"Brother Ray" and "Power of the Powerless"
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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 Los Angeles Police Department’s enforcement guidelines say officers must first seek voluntarily compliance by educating the person sleeping on the street and asking them to move.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
But O’Connor goes even further, barring RIH from “encouraging” individuals who are not currently part of the case to seek protection from these courts.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
The by-election was triggered when Labour MP Josh Simons announced he would step down to allow his party colleague Andy Burnham the chance to seek a way back into the House of Commons.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
But life wasn’t easy if you weren’t Dutch, so Anthony and Grietje—outsiders in a prosperous but swirling city—chose to seek their fortune in the Americas.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
On February 17, he told the public, “We seek no wider war.”
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
