{
    "term": "pursue",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "academic": true,
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "pursue",
            "heSheIt": "pursues"
        },
        "pastSimple": "pursued",
        "pastParticiple": "pursued",
        "ingForm": "pursuing"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to do something or try to achieve something over a period of time",
            "sensetop": "pursue something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to **pursue a goal**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to pursue an aim/objective"
                },
                {
                    "text": "How can we most effectively pursue these aims?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We intend to **pursue** this **policy** with determination."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She wishes to **pursue** a medical **career**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I was determined to **pursue** my **dream** of becoming an actor."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Many communities are aggressively pursuing plans to preserve open spaces."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I wasn't sure I wanted to pursue dance as a career."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He continues to pursue a soft policy on crime."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Success"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["further", "still", "actively"],
                "verb + pursue": ["decide to", "intend to", "want to"],
                "phrases": [
                    "the ability to pursue something",
                    "the freedom to pursue something",
                    "the opportunity to pursue something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to continue to discuss, find out about or be involved in something",
            "sensetop": "pursue somethingpursue + speech",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to pursue an agenda/a strategy/a claim",
                    "contextForm": "pursue something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to pursue legal action"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The Crown Prosecution Service is unwilling to pursue the case."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We have decided not to **pursue the matter**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She wanted the freedom to **pursue** her own **interests**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was still pursuing his studies."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Other companies are pursuing the same course."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The government has **actively pursued** a campaign against the militants."
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘But’, he pursued, ‘you still haven't answered the question.’",
                    "contextForm": "pursue + speech"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Law and justice"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["further", "still", "actively"],
                "verb + pursue": ["decide to", "intend to", "want to"],
                "phrases": [
                    "the ability to pursue something",
                    "the freedom to pursue something",
                    "the opportunity to pursue something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to follow or go after somebody/something, especially in order to catch them",
            "sensetop": "pursue somebody/something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She left the theatre, hotly pursued by the press."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Police pursued the car at high speed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Jake has been pursuing her *(= trying to have a relationship with her)* for months."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Law and justice", "Crime and punishment"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["relentlessly"],
                "phrases": ["closely pursued by somebody", "hotly pursued by somebody"]
            }
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈsjuː/",
                "audio": "pu/pursue/pursue__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈsjuːz/",
                "audio": "pu/pursue/pursues__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈsjuːd/",
                "audio": "pu/pursue/pursued__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pəˈsjuːɪŋ/",
                "audio": "pu/pursue/pursuing__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pərˈsuː/",
                "audio": "pu/pursue/pursue__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pərˈsuːz/",
                "audio": "pu/pursue/pursues__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pərˈsuːd/",
                "audio": "pu/pursue/pursued__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/pərˈsuːɪŋ/",
                "audio": "pu/pursue/pursuing__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English (originally in the sense ‘follow with hatred’): from Anglo-Norman French pursuer, from an alteration of Latin prosequi ‘prosecute’."
}