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.
She also welcomed a commitment from government that it will not seek to create a centralised database for digital ID.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
The fate of a specific cluster of rare-disease companies remains uncertain, as they had the misfortune to seek drug approvals during the past year’s turbulence.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
On its December balance sheet, however, StepStone had $266 million of cash, and it has previously warned investors that it may need to seek equity or debt financing to fund the buy-in.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is the latest film to be given the Cosm treatment, in which supplemental animations seek to envelop guests.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Most were happy enough with what they understood of their liminal existence and did not seek help from seers.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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.
