To pursue means to follow or chase something you want to catch or achieve. A detective pursues a suspect through city streets. A cat pursues a mouse across a yard. In these cases, pursue means active chasing, like an extended and determined form of running after something.

The word takes on a different feeling when we talk about pursuing goals or dreams. When someone pursues a career in medicine, they're working steadily toward becoming a doctor: studying hard, getting good grades, and taking the right classes. When you pursue a hobby like learning piano, you're dedicating time and effort to getting better at it. This kind of pursuing isn't about speed or catching something that's running away. It's about moving toward something important with focus and determination.

You might pursue an answer to a difficult question by researching in the library. A scientist pursues the truth by running careful experiments. A writer pursues the perfect sentence by revising again and again.

The word suggests more than casual interest. When you pursue something, you're serious about it. You keep going even when things get difficult. Someone who gives up after one try isn't really pursuing their goal.