pursued

Pursued is the past tense and past participle of the verb pursue. It denotes following someone or something with the aim of overtaking or catching them, or striving to achieve or obtain something through sustained effort. The term covers both literal chasing and figurative striving, such as pursuing a goal, a career, or knowledge.

The verb pursue derives from Old French poursuivre, which itself comes from Latin persequi meaning to follow closely. In English, pursued is the standard form used in past tense constructions and as a past participle in passive or perfect forms.

Pursue is transitive, requiring an object, as in pursuing a suspect, pursuing a career, or pursuing an objective. The related forms include pursuing (present participle), pursuit (noun), and pursuer (one who pursues). The phrase in pursuit is common, as in law enforcement contexts: “the officers are in pursuit.”

Usage and nuance: pursue often implies deliberate, goal-oriented action or a systematic effort, rather than a single or hasty chase. It is versatile across domains such as law, business, education, and personal development. While it can describe physical chasing, it more commonly conveys long-term or strategic effort to reach a target or fulfill an aim.

In summary, pursued functions as a key grammatical form of pursue, signaling an act of following or striving that is completed in the past or has been carried out as part of a broader, ongoing effort.