pursue
/pərˈsuː/
verb
Origin
Old French
poursuir — to follow or pursue
Overview
Meaning Now
- To follow someone or something in order to catch or attack them.
- To follow or engage in a course of action or activity.
- To seek to attain or accomplish a goal.
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
pursuen
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word stems from the Latin 'prosequi', which combined 'pro-' (forward) and 'sequi' (to follow). It entered English via the Anglo-Norman French 'pursuer', reflecting the shift from 'o' to 'u' in the prefix vowel.
Evolution
- Latin
prosequi
“to follow after”
- Old French
poursuir
“to follow”
- Middle English
pursuen
“to follow, chase”
- Modern English
pursue
“to chase or strive for”
Connections
Word parts
pur-
prefix
forward, forth (from Latin pro-)
-sue
root
to follow (from Latin sequi)
Related across languages
French
poursuivre
to pursue/sue
Italian
proseguire
to continue/proceed
Explore next
Related to pursue
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.