pursuit

pursuit — noun

1. A regular activity that a person chooses to do in their free time for personal e

1.nounB1
Definition

A regular activity that a person chooses to do in their free time for personal enjoyment, rather than for money or because they have to.

Example

Chiara fills her weekends with creative pursuits such as watercolor painting and pottery.

countable noun: creative pursuits / artistic pursuits

One of Abigail's favorite outdoor pursuits is hiking the forest trails near her home.

common collocation: outdoor pursuit

Common collocations
  • artistic pursuit
  • creative pursuit
  • outdoor pursuit
  • intellectual pursuit
  • leisure pursuit
  • favorite pursuit
Synonyms
  • hobby

    more personal and specific; a hobby is usually a single activity done regularly

  • pastime

    slightly more old-fashioned; emphasizes spending time pleasantly

  • interest

    broader; can include subjects studied or followed without active participation

Antonyms
  • work

    the opposite context — an obligation rather than a chosen leisure activity

  • chore

    an unpleasant or boring task done out of duty

Grammar Patterns

pursuit + (of) + activity-noun

pursuit as complement of 'in'

Usage Note

Most commonly used with an adjective that describes the type of activity (creative, outdoor, intellectual, leisure). Frequently appears in the plural form pursuits when listing multiple interests.

Common Mistakes

Cooking is my favorite persuit.
Cooking is my favorite pursuit.
the word 'pursuit' is commonly misspelled as 'persuit'; remember the 'ur' after 'p'.

2. The act of running after or chasing a person, animal, or vehicle so as to seize

2.nounB1
Definition

The act of running after or chasing a person, animal, or vehicle so as to seize them or bring them to a halt.

Example

The officer's pursuit of the suspect ended in a small park near the river.

A dramatic movie scene shows a high-speed pursuit through busy downtown streets.

common collocation: high-speed pursuit

Common collocations
  • in pursuit of
  • in hot pursuit
  • in close pursuit
  • high-speed pursuit
  • car pursuit
  • police pursuit
  • give pursuit
Synonyms
  • chase

    more common in everyday speech; often implies running or driving after someone

  • hunt

    implies searching as well as chasing; often used for animals or fugitives

  • trail

    emphasizes following tracks or clues rather than immediate physical pursuit

Antonyms
  • escape

    the successful act of getting away from a pursuer

  • flight

    the act of running away from danger or a pursuer

Grammar Patterns

in pursuit of + someone/something

in hot pursuit

pursuit of + criminal/suspect/prey

Usage Note

In this sense, pursuit is most often uncountable and appears in the fixed phrases 'in pursuit of' and 'in hot pursuit'. The phrase 'hot pursuit' is a legal term that allows police to chase a suspect across jurisdictional boundaries.

Common Mistakes

The police are in pursue of the robber.
The police are in pursuit of the robber.
'pursue' is a verb; after the preposition 'in', the noun 'pursuit' must be used.
The police gave pursuit after the thief.' (sounds unnatural)
The police gave chase to the thief.
'give pursuit' is not idiomatic; use 'give chase' instead.

3. The continuous effort made to obtain or achieve something important, such as a g

3.nounB2
Definition

The continuous effort made to obtain or achieve something important, such as a goal, a principle, or a particular way of life, with this work sometimes continuing for many years.

Example

The pursuit of knowledge drove Ishaan to spend years studying ancient languages.

classic collocation: the pursuit of knowledge / the pursuit of happiness

Elena's pursuit of a medical degree required countless late nights of hard work.

Common collocations
  • pursuit of happiness
  • pursuit of knowledge
  • pursuit of excellence
  • pursuit of justice
  • pursuit of a career
  • relentless pursuit
  • single-minded pursuit
  • in pursuit of
Synonyms
  • quest

    more literary and dramatic; suggests a difficult, almost heroic search

  • search

    broader and more general; less emotional weight than pursuit

  • endeavor

    formal; emphasizes the effort and hard work involved

Antonyms
  • abandonment

    giving up on a goal or ambition that one had been pursuing

  • neglect

    failing to give proper attention to an important aim

Grammar Patterns

pursuit of + abstract-noun (happiness/knowledge/justice)

the pursuit of + goal

in pursuit of + ideal

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1 (hobby), this sense implies serious, long-term effort and is typically uncountable. The phrase 'the pursuit of happiness' from the U.S. Declaration of Independence is a well-known fixed expression. Subject is usually a person, group, or organization; the object is an abstract goal or ideal.

Common Mistakes

He is in pursuit to become a doctor.
He is in pursuit of becoming a doctor.
after 'in pursuit', always use 'of', not 'to'.
She is in the pursuit of her career.' (unnatural with 'the')
She is in pursuit of her career.
the definite article 'the' is usually omitted in the phrase 'in pursuit of'.
Idioms

in hot pursuit

idiom

Following someone or something very closely and with great determination, especially when trying to catch them.

The security guard ran out of the building with the thief in hot pursuit just behind him.

the pursuit of happiness

idiom

The right or effort to seek a satisfying and joyful life; a phrase from the United States Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence states that all people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/3

Pursuit (sense 3) emphasises sustained, serious effort toward a goal. A quest is more literary and dramatic — it suggests a long, almost heroic journey (a quest for the Holy Grail). A search is broader and more neutral; you can search for your keys or for a cure, whereas pursuit implies greater dedication. Endeavor is the most formal of the group; it highlights the labour involved (a scientific endeavor). Hunt overlaps with pursuit when the goal is something elusive (a job hunt), but hunt feels more urgent and targeted. In everyday writing, pursuit is the best choice for long-term personal or professional ambitions: "her pursuit of a medical degree" sounds natural, while "her hunt for a medical degree" would be odd.

quest ↗search ↗endeavor ↗hunt ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • pursuit of happiness
  • pursuit of knowledge
  • pursuit of excellence
  • pursuit of justice
  • pursuit of truth
  • pursuit of a career
  • pursuit of a goal
  • pursuit of a dream
  • pursuit of a suspect
  • pursuit of a criminal

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Pursuit entered English around 1300 from Old French 'poursuite', meaning 'a following after, a chase', derived from the verb 'poursivre' (to follow, to chase). The French verb traces back to Latin 'prosequi', formed from 'pro-' (forward) and 'sequi' (to follow), which is also the root of 'sequence' and 'consequence'. The original sense of physical chasing broadened over time to include the figurative meaning of striving for goals, which appeared by the early 1600s. The hobby/leisure sense developed later, in the 1800s.