Thesaurus results for PURSUIT

Q: How does the noun 'pursuit' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of pursuit are business , calling , employment , métier , occupation , and work . While all these words mean "a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living," pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest. // her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

Q: When is 'business' a more appropriate choice than 'pursuit'?

While in some cases nearly identical to pursuit , business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs. // the business of managing a hotel

Q: When might 'calling' be a better fit than 'pursuit'?

The meanings of calling and pursuit largely overlap; however, calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession. // the ministry seemed my true calling

Q: When is it sensible to use 'employment' instead of 'pursuit'?

The words employment and pursuit can be used in similar contexts, but employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer. // your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

Q: When would 'métier' be a good substitute for 'pursuit'?

The synonyms métier and pursuit are sometimes interchangeable, but métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted. // acting was my one and only métier

Q: In what contexts can 'occupation' take the place of 'pursuit'?

While the synonyms occupation and pursuit are close in meaning, occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training. // his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

Q: When can 'work' be used instead of 'pursuit'?

Although the words work and pursuit have much in common, work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not. // her work as a hospital volunteer

pursuit

noun

pər-ˈsüt

Definition of pursuit next

as in tracking

the act of going after or in the tracks of another the cat ran down the street with a pair of dogs in pursuit

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in hobby

an activity outside of one's regular occupation that is engaged in primarily for pleasure a workaholic with few pursuits outside of the office

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun pursuit differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of pursuit are business, calling, employment, métier, occupation, and work. While all these words mean "a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living," pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest.

her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

When is business a more appropriate choice than pursuit?

While in some cases nearly identical to pursuit, business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs.

the business of managing a hotel

When might calling be a better fit than pursuit?

The meanings of calling and pursuit largely overlap; however, calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession.

the ministry seemed my true calling

When is it sensible to use employment instead of pursuit?

The words employment and pursuit can be used in similar contexts, but employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.

your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

When would métier be a good substitute for pursuit?

The synonyms métier and pursuit are sometimes interchangeable, but métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted.

acting was my one and only métier

In what contexts can occupation take the place of pursuit?

While the synonyms occupation and pursuit are close in meaning, occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training.

his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

When can work be used instead of pursuit?

Although the words work and pursuit have much in common, work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not.

her work as a hospital volunteer

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pursuit In his relentless pursuit to strip the proud Black boy of his confident sense of freedom in his Black identity, the white man never even had to touch Kunta Kinte. —

Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Jan. 2025 Brazilian courts acted quickly and aggressively The court ruling that deemed Mr. Bolsonaro ineligible is an illustration of another divergence in the approaches: The Brazilian judiciary has been faster and far more aggressive in its pursuit of Mr. Bolsonaro. —

Jack Nicas, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025 The first part of the novel is taken up by her pursuit of Marlowe’s attention, which persists despite his initial indifference to her. —

Laila Lalami, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025 McDaniels was trailing around the screens in pursuit. —

Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for pursuit

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pursuit

Noun

Another great example is the Oura ring, which has been incredibly popular in the last few years as a sleep tracking device; the company just recently hit $5 billion in valuation.

— Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, M.D., J.D., Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Third-party tracking: Will third-party advertising services or tracking technologies collect any information from a user of the application or service? User tracking: Will a user's personal information be used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services?

— Sarah Scott, Parents, 23 Jan. 2025