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Definition of pursuit noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

pursuit

noun
 
 
/pəˈsjuːt/
 
/pərˈsuːt/
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  1.  
    [uncountable] the act of looking for or trying to get something
    • pursuit of something the pursuit of happiness/knowledge/profit
    • in pursuit of something She travelled the world in pursuit of her dreams.
    Extra Examples
    • He devoted his waking hours to the single-minded pursuit of his goal.
    • She is engaged in the ruthless pursuit of pleasure.
    • people leaving their homes in pursuit of work
    • the endless pursuit of wealth
    • She moved to the US in pursuit of a movie career.
    • The purpose of the award is to encourage the pursuit of excellence.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • aggressive
    • dogged
    • relentless
    • …
    verb + pursuit
    • be engaged in
    preposition
    • in pursuit of
    • pursuit of
    phrases
    • the pursuit of excellence, happiness, knowledge, pleasure, truth, etc.
    See full entry
  2.  
    [uncountable] the act of following or going after somebody, especially in order to catch them
    • in pursuit We drove away with two police cars in pursuit (= following).
    • I galloped off on my horse with Rosie in hot pursuit (= following quickly behind).
    Extra Examples
    • The guard set off in pursuit of the thief.
    • The police gave pursuit.
    Topics Law and justicec1, Crime and punishmentc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • close
    • police
    verb + pursuit
    • give
    • continue
    • abandon
    • …
    preposition
    • in pursuit (of)
    phrases
    • in close pursuit
    • in hot pursuit
    See full entry
  3.  
    [countable, usually plural] something that you give your time and energy to, that you do as a hobby synonym hobby, pastime
    • outdoor/leisure/artistic pursuits
    Extra Examples
    • They shared the same love of horses, fresh air and country pursuits.
    • She has time now to follow her various artistic pursuits.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • active
    • energetic
    • leisure
    • …
    verb + pursuit
    • follow
    See full entry
    4. Word Originlate Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French purseute ‘following after’, from pursuer, from an alteration of Latin prosequi ‘prosecute’. Early senses included ‘persecution, annoyance’ and in legal contexts ‘petition, prosecution’.
See pursuit in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee pursuit in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: pursuit

Nearby words

influence
verb
 
 
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