ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pursuit

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //pɝˈsut// UK //pəsˈuːt// pur·suit Archaic General-service

n. the act of following or chasing someone or something. It can also mean an activity or hobby that you spend a lot of time doing.

n. the act of following or chasing in order to overtake, capture, or observe; alternatively, a systematic effort to achieve a goal or a regular leisure activity.


SIMPLE

The police were in pursuit of the stolen car.

CONTEXTUAL

She spent her weekends in the pursuit of outdoor hobbies like hiking and birdwatching.

COMPLEX

The relentless pursuit of profit at the expense of environmental safety eventually led to a series of costly legal battles for the corporation.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English pursuyte, from Old French poursuite, from the verb porsuir (“to pursue”).

Usage

Often used in the prepositional phrase 'in pursuit of'. When referring to a hobby or interest, it is a countable noun.

Pitfall

he is in pursuit for happinesshe is in pursuit of happinessThe noun pursuit takes the preposition 'of' when describing the object being chased or sought.

© 2026 English Reference