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pursuit
/pɜːrˈsuːt/
act of following or chasing
She gave up her pursuit of a medical career to become an artist.
She stopped trying to become a doctor and chose art instead.
formal
the action of following or chasing someone or something to catch or achieve it
The police car was in hot pursuit of the suspect.
The police car was closely chasing the suspect.
His pursuit of happiness led him across the country.
He traveled far to find happiness.
Often used in legal or formal contexts (e.g., 'in pursuit of justice'). Can imply effort or dedication beyond mere chasing.
formal
an activity or interest pursued by a person
She has many artistic pursuits, including painting and sculpture.
She engages in painting and sculpture as hobbies.
Refers to hobbies, careers, or passions someone is actively engaged in.
Collocations
in pursuit oftrying to achieve or catchpursuit of happinessthe effort to find joy or contentmentcareer pursuitthe act of working toward professional goals
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Distinguish 'pursuit' from 'pursue'
'Pursue' is a verb (e.g., 'She pursued her dreams'), while 'pursuit' is the noun form (e.g., 'Her pursuit of dreams was inspiring').
Gold Rule
Use 'pursuit' for ongoing efforts
Unlike 'chase' (often short-term), 'pursuit' implies sustained effort toward a goal, whether literal or abstract.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'pursute' (action of chasing), from Anglo-Norman French 'pursuite', from Old French 'poursuite' (pursuit, prosecution), from 'poursivre' (to pursue), from Latin 'prosequi' (to follow, pursue), from 'pro-' (forward) + 'sequi' (to follow).
Usage Notes
Commonly used in both literal (physical chasing) and figurative (effort toward a goal) senses. Often appears in formal or literary contexts.
Word Breakdown
pursu-
from Latin 'prosequi' (to follow)
root-it
suffix forming nouns of action
suffixEnglish Dictionary