Pursuit vs. Chase — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Published on October 15, 2023
Pursuit involves seeking or striving for something, often long-term, while chase implies a more immediate and active tracking or following.
Difference Between Pursuit and Chase
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Pursuit is a term that conveys a sense of continuous search or endeavor toward a particular goal. It suggests a journey or endeavor, which can be either physical or metaphorical. When one talks about the pursuit of knowledge, it indicates a long-term, dedicated effort to seek understanding.
Chase, conversely, carries a sense of urgency, immediacy, and often, direct action. It usually involves following or going after something or someone actively and rapidly. When one mentions a police chase, it brings to mind a scene where officers are immediately following a suspect, typically in a vehicle.
In some contexts, pursuit and chase might be used interchangeably, like when discussing a predator hunting its prey. However, pursuit generally has a broader scope, while chase is more narrowly defined. An individual's pursuit of happiness encompasses a broad range of experiences and efforts, whereas a chase would be more about a singular event.
It's essential to recognize that pursuit often implies a deeper, intrinsic motivation. For instance, an artist's pursuit of perfection in their craft is about personal growth and mastery. On the other hand, a chase might be extrinsic, like chasing after a thief who has just snatched a purse.
When choosing between these terms, consider the duration, motivation, and immediacy of the action. Pursuit suggests a long-term, possibly intrinsic motivation, while chase denotes a shorter, more immediate action, often driven by external factors.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Meaning
Continuous search or endeavor
Immediate and active tracking or following
Duration
Can be long-term
Typically short-term
Motivation
Often intrinsic
Can be extrinsic
Context
Broad scope (e.g., pursuit of happiness)
More specific (e.g., police chase)
Urgency
Might lack immediate urgency
Usually involves urgency
Compare with Definitions
Pursuit
The act of seeking or striving for something.
Her pursuit of excellence was evident in her dedication.
Chase
A hunt or pursuit.
The chase for the championship was intense this season.
Pursuit
The act of following or chasing someone.
The thief's swift escape led to a long pursuit.
Chase
To drive or expel by force.
She would chase the birds away from her garden.
Pursuit
The act or an instance of chasing or pursuing
The pursuit of the suspect by the police.
Chase
An act of running after something.
After a short chase, the police apprehended the suspect.
Pursuit
The act of striving to gain or accomplish something
The pursuit of wealth.
The pursuit of higher education.
Chase
To follow rapidly in order to catch or overtake; pursue
The police officers chased the thief. The dog chased the cat across the yard.
Pursuit
An activity, such as a vocation or hobby, engaged in regularly.
Chase
To follow (game) in order to capture or kill; hunt
Chase foxes.
Pursuit
The act of pursuing.
Unremitting pursuit of wealth doesn't bring happiness, particularly if successful.
Chase
To seek the favor or company of persistently
Chased me until I agreed to a date.
Pursuit
A hobby or recreational activity, done regularly.
Chase
To put to flight; drive
She chased the rabbits from the garden.
Pursuit
(cycle racing) A discipline in track cycling where two opposing teams start on opposite sides of the track and try to catch their opponents.
Chase
To cause (an opposing pitcher) to be removed from a game by batting well.
Pursuit
Prosecution
Chase
To swing at and miss (a pitch, especially one out of the strike zone).
Pursuit
The act of following or going after; esp., a following with haste, either for sport or in hostility; chase; prosecution; as, the pursuit of game; the pursuit of an enemy.
Weak we are, and can not shun pursuit.
Chase
To go or follow in pursuit
My friends and I chased after the loose dog.
Pursuit
A following with a view to reach, accomplish, or obtain; endeavor to attain to or gain; as, the pursuit of knowledge; the pursuit of happiness or pleasure.
Chase
(Informal) To go hurriedly; rush
Chased all over looking for us.
Pursuit
Course of business or occupation; continued employment with a view to same end; as, mercantile pursuits; a literary pursuit.
Chase
To groove; indent.
Pursuit
Prosecution.
That pursuit for tithes ought, and of ancient time did pertain to the spiritual court.
Chase
To cut (the thread of a screw).
Pursuit
The act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture;
The culprit started to run and the cop took off in pursuit
Chase
To decorate (metal) by engraving or embossing.
Pursuit
A search for an alternative that meets cognitive criteria;
The pursuit of love
Life is more than the pursuance of fame
A quest for wealth
Chase
The act of chasing; pursuit
The police arrested the driver after a wild chase.
Pursuit
A diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly);
Sailing is her favorite pastime
His main pastime is gambling
He counts reading among his interests
They criticized the boy for his limited pursuits
Chase
The hunting of game
The thrill of the chase.
Pursuit
Continuous effort to achieve a goal.
The pursuit of wealth often leaves little time for leisure.
Chase
Something that is hunted or pursued; quarry
The hunters drove their chase into the open.
Pursuit
A hobby or recreational activity.
Bird-watching is his favorite pursuit.
Chase
A privately owned, unenclosed game preserve.
Pursuit
An endeavor to attain knowledge.
The pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong journey.
Chase
The right to hunt or keep game on the land of others.
Chase
A rectangular steel or iron frame into which pages or columns of type are locked for printing or plate making.
Chase
A groove cut in an object; a slot
The chase for the quarrel on a crossbow.
Chase
A trench or channel for drainpipes or wiring.
Chase
The part of a gun in front of the trunnions.
Chase
The cavity of a mold.
Chase
The act of one who chases another; a pursuit.
Chase
A hunt; the act of hunting; the pursuit of game.
Chase
(uncountable) A children's game where one player chases another.
Chase
(British) A large country estate where game may be shot or hunted.
Chase
Anything being chased, especially a vessel in time of war.
Chase
(obsolete) A wild animal that is hunted.
Chase
(nautical) Any of the guns that fire directly ahead or astern; either a bow chase or stern chase.
Chase
(real tennis) The occurrence of a second bounce by the ball in certain areas of the court, giving the server the chance, later in the game, to "play off" the chase from the receiving end and possibly win the point.
Chase
(real tennis) A division of the floor of a gallery, marked by a figure or otherwise; the spot where a ball falls, and between which and the dedans the adversary must drive the ball in order to gain a point.
Chase
(cycling) One or more riders who are ahead of the peloton and trying to join the race or stage leaders.
Chase
(music) A series of brief improvised jazz solos by a number of musicians taking turns.
Chase
(printing) A rectangular steel or iron frame into which pages or columns of type are locked for printing or plate-making.
Chase
A groove cut in an object; a slot: the chase for the quarrel on a crossbow.
Chase
(architecture) A trench or channel or other encasement structure for encasing (archaically spelled enchasing) drainpipes or wiring; a hollow space in the wall of a building encasing ventilation ducts, chimney flues, wires, cables or plumbing.
Chase
The part of a gun in front of the trunnions.
Chase
The cavity of a mold.
Chase
(shipbuilding) A kind of joint by which an overlap joint is changed to a flush joint by means of a gradually deepening rabbet, as at the ends of clinker-built boats.
Chase
(transitive) To pursue.
Chase
(transitive) To follow at speed.
Chase
(transitive) To hunt.
Chase
(transitive) To seek to attain.
The team are chasing their first home win this season.
Chase
To pursue a vessel in order to destroy, capture or interrogate her.
Chase
(transitive) To consume another beverage immediately after drinking hard liquor, typically something better tasting or less harsh such as soda or beer; to use a drink as a chaser.
I need something to chase this shot with.
Chase
To attempt to win by scoring the required number of runs in the final innings.
Australia will be chasing 217 for victory on the final day.
Chase
To swing at a pitch outside of the strike zone, typically an outside pitch.
Jones chases one out of the zone for strike two.
Chase
To produce enough offense to cause the pitcher to be removed.
The rally chased the starter.
Chase
(transitive) To groove; indent.
Chase
(transitive) To place piping or wiring in a groove encased within a wall or floor, or in a hidden space encased by a wall.
Chase the pipe
Chase
(transitive) To cut (the thread of a screw).
Chase
(transitive) To decorate (metal) by engraving or embossing.
Chase
To pursue for the purpose of killing or taking, as an enemy, or game; to hunt.
We are those which chased you from the field.
Philologists, who chaseA panting syllable through time and place.
Chase
To follow as if to catch; to pursue; to compel to move on; to drive by following; to cause to fly; - often with away or off; as, to chase the hens away.
Chased by their brother's endless malice from prince to prince and from place to place.
Chase
To pursue eagerly, as hunters pursue game.
Chasing each other merrily.
Chase
To give chase; to hunt; as, to chase around after a doctor.
Chase
To ornament (a surface of metal) by embossing, cutting away parts, and the like.
Chase
To cut, so as to make a screw thread.
Chase
Vehement pursuit for the purpose of killing or capturing, as of an enemy, or game; an earnest seeking after any object greatly desired; the act or habit of hunting; a hunt.
You see this chase is hotly followed.
Chase
That which is pursued or hunted.
Nay, Warwick, seek thee out some other chase,For I myself must hunt this deer to death.
Chase
An open hunting ground to which game resorts, and which is private properly, thus differing from a forest, which is not private property, and from a park, which is inclosed. Sometimes written chace.
Chase
A division of the floor of a gallery, marked by a figure or otherwise; the spot where a ball falls, and between which and the dedans the adversary must drive his ball in order to gain a point.
Chase
A rectangular iron frame in which pages or columns of type are imposed.
Chase
The part of a cannon from the reënforce or the trunnions to the swell of the muzzle. See Cannon.
Chase
A groove, or channel, as in the face of a wall; a trench, as for the reception of drain tile.
Chase
A kind of joint by which an overlap joint is changed to a flush joint, by means of a gradually deepening rabbet, as at the ends of clinker-built boats.
Chase
The act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture;
The culprit started to run and the cop took off in pursuit
Chase
Go after with the intent to catch;
The policeman chased the mugger down the alley
The dog chased the rabbit
Chase
Cut a groove into;
Chase silver
Chase
Cut a furrow into a columns
Chase
To follow rapidly in order to catch or overtake.
The cat would chase the laser pointer relentlessly.
Chase
To follow or pursue persistently.
Reporters would chase the story to get exclusive details.
Common Curiosities
Does pursuit always imply a long duration?
Not always, but pursuit often suggests a continuous or extended effort.
Does chase always have an element of urgency?
Typically, chase implies immediacy and urgency in action.
How do the two words differ in terms of motivation?
Pursuit often implies intrinsic motivation, while chase can be driven by external events or factors.
Is pursuit more about the journey or the end goal?
Pursuit encompasses both the journey and the goal, emphasizing the seeking or striving process.
Does chase always involve movement?
Often, but not always. It can be metaphorical, like "chasing a dream."
Can pursuit refer to a hobby?
Yes, pursuits can refer to hobbies or recreational activities.
Can one be in pursuit of a tangible item?
Yes, one can be in pursuit of an object, knowledge, a goal, etc.
Is chase always about physically following someone?
No, chase can be metaphorical, like chasing a dream, but it often implies direct action.
Are they interchangeable in a context like "police pursuit/chase"?
They can be, but chase might emphasize the immediacy, while pursuit might indicate an extended effort.
Can chase refer to an extended period?
While possible, chase usually denotes a shorter, more immediate action.
Can "pursuit of happiness" mean chasing happiness?
Yes, but pursuit implies a broader, more intrinsic journey, while chasing might feel more immediate.
Is pursuit more passive than chase?
Not necessarily passive, but pursuit can lack the immediate urgency that chase often carries.
Can chase mean to drive away?
Yes, like chasing away birds or pests.
Is a chase always successful?
No, a chase doesn't guarantee capture or attainment of the target.
Do both terms always relate to physical activity?
No, both can be used metaphorically, like pursuing a dream or chasing fame.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
