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pursuit

In pursuit of happiness, man is prone to do many counterintuitive things: work much, sleep little, spend grandly, and complain often about what he has.

Whether it's a police officer in a car chase or a student working towards a college degree at a university in the tropics, both can be considered in “hot pursuit.”  Derived from the Anglo-French purseute pursuit means the act of pursuing or striving towards goals. In the late 14th century it implied persecution, but things have changed since then.

DEFINITIONS OF: pursuit

1

n the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

“the culprit started to run and the cop took off in pursuit
Synonyms:
chase, following, pursual
Types:
tracking, trailing
the pursuit (of a person or animal) by following tracks or marks they left behind
shadowing, tailing
the act of following someone secretly
stalk, stalking
the act of following prey stealthily
Type of:
motion, move, movement
the act of changing location from one place to another

n a search for an alternative that meets cognitive criteria

“the pursuit of love”
Synonyms:
pursuance, quest
Types:
wild-goose chase
the fruitless pursuit of something unattainable
Type of:
search
the examination of alternative hypotheses

n an auxiliary activity

Synonyms:
avocation, by-line, hobby, sideline, spare-time activity
Types:
spelaeology, speleology
the pastime of exploring caves
Type of:
interest, pastime
a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)

n a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)

“they criticized the boy for his limited pursuits
Synonyms:
interest, pastime
Types:
avocation, by-line, hobby, sideline, spare-time activity
an auxiliary activity
spelaeology, speleology
the pastime of exploring caves
Type of:
diversion, recreation
an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates
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