Definitions for pursue
pərˈsupur·sue

Princeton's WordNet(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. prosecute, engage, pursueverb

   carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in

   "She pursued many activities"; "They engaged in a discussion"

2. pursue, followverb

   follow in or as if in pursuit

   "The police car pursued the suspected attacker"; "Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life"

3. quest for, go after, quest after, pursueverb

   go in search of or hunt for

   "pursue a hobby"

4. pursue, follow up on, act onverb

   carry further or advance

   "Can you act on this matter soon?"

Wiktionary(4.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pursueverb

   To follow with harmful intent; to try to harm, to persecute, torment.

2. pursueverb

   To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.

3. pursueverb

   To follow, travel down (a particular way, course of action etc.).

   Her rival pursued a quite different course.

4. pursueverb

   To aim for, go after (a specified objective, situation etc.).

5. pursueverb

   To participate in (an activity, business etc.); to practise, follow (a profession).

6. Etymology: From pursuer, poursuire et al., porsuir, from prosequi (though influenced by persequi).

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. To PURSUEverb

   Etymology: poursuivre, Fr.

   1. To chase; to follow in hostility.

   Love like a shadow flies, when substance love pursues;
   Pursuing that that flies, and flying what pursues. William Shakespeare.

   When Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, and pursued. Gen. xiv. 14.

   To thy speed add wings,
   Lest with a whip of scorpions I pursue
   Thy lingering. John Milton.

   2. To prosecute; to continue.

   As righteousness tendeth to life; so he that pursueth evil, pursueth it to his own death. Prov. xii. 19.

   Insatiate to pursue
   Vain war with heaven. John Milton.

   I will pursue
   This ancient story, whether false or true. Dryden.

   When men pursue their thoughts of space, they stop at the confines of body, as if space were there at an end. John Locke.

   3. To imitate; to follow as an example.

   The fame of ancient matrons you pursue,
   And stand a blameless pattern to the new. Dryden.

   4. To endeavour to attain.

   Let us not then pursue
   Splendid vassalage. John Milton.

   We happiness pursue; we fly from pain;
   Yet the pursuit, and yet the flight is vain. Matthew Prior.

2. To Pursueverb

   To go on; to proceed.

   I have, pursues Carneades, wondered chymists should not consider. Boyle.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Pursueverb

   to follow with a view to overtake; to follow eagerly, or with haste; to chase; as, to pursue a hare

2. Pursueverb

   to seek; to use or adopt measures to obtain; as, to pursue a remedy at law

3. Pursueverb

   to proceed along, with a view to some and or object; to follow; to go in; as, Captain Cook pursued a new route; the administration pursued a wise course

4. Pursueverb

   to prosecute; to be engaged in; to continue

5. Pursueverb

   to follow as an example; to imitate

6. Pursueverb

   to follow with enmity; to persecute; to call to account

7. Pursueverb

   to go in pursuit; to follow

8. Pursueverb

   to go on; to proceed, especially in argument or discourse; to continue

9. Pursueverb

   to follow a matter judicially, as a complaining party; to act as a prosecutor

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pursue

   pur-sū′, v.t. to follow after in order to overtake: to follow with haste: to chase: to follow up: to be engaged in: to carry on: to seek to obtain: to seek to injure: to imitate: to continue.—v.i. to follow: to go on or continue: to act as a prosecutor at law.—n. (Spens.) pursuit.—adj. Pursū′able.—n. Pursū′ance, the act of pursuing or following out: process: consequence.—adj. Pursū′ant, done while pursuing or seeking any purpose, hence agreeable.—adv. agreeably: conformably—also Pursū′antly.—n. Pursū′er, one who pursues: (Scots law) a plaintiff. [O. Fr. porsuir (Fr. poursuivre)—L. prosequi, -secutus—pro, onwards, sequi, to follow.]

Matched Categories

1. • Act
   • Move

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'pursue' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4672

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'pursue' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4153

3. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'pursue' in Verbs Frequency: #425

How to pronounce pursue?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say pursue in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of pursue in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of pursue in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of pursue in a Sentence

1. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy:

   Republicans will not be party to their sham process and will instead pursue our own investigation of the facts.

2. Hillel Neuer:

   By Allah, anyone who can kill and slaughter any Zionist and Israeli criminal, and doesn’t do so, doesn’t deserve to live. Kill them and pursue them everywhere, they are the greatest enemy….All Israel deserves is death.

3. Chuck Schumer:

   Joe Biden set the agenda, and I am working to pursue that agenda, OK ? And I agree with it.

4. Bernie Sanders ':

   There comes a time when if we pursue justice and peace, we are going to have to say that Netanyahu is not right all of the time.

5. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:

   Facebook should be broken up, we should pursue antitrust activity on Facebook. And there are so many different reasons why. They are acting as an advertiser. They are acting as both platform and vendor. They are a communications platform, which has historically been a well-established domain of antitrust. And so because they are so many businesses and industries in one, the case is, I believe, right there in and of itself as to why they should be subject to antitrust activity.

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