Etymologically
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pursuant

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Pronunciation

  • UK: /pəˈsjuː.ənt/[1]
  • US: /pɚˈsu.ənt/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English pursuaunt, also poursuiant,[2][3] apparently borrowed from Anglo-Norman pursuant,[4][5][2] the present participle of pursuer (“to pursue”), used as a noun and as an adjective;[4] Middle French had poursuant.[4] The Anglo-Norman adjective meant "in conformance to, in accordance with" by the early 14th century, and the noun "plaintiff, prosecutor" by 1401.[4] The Old French participle was poursuiant, also porsivant,[5][6][2] from porsuir, a form beside porsivre (“to chase, pursue”),[5][6] which goes back to Vulgar Latin *prōsequō, for classical prōsequor (“to follow, pursue”).[6] In later use the English word was taken as pursue with the suffix -ant,[4][7] and its spelling was influenced by that verb.[8] pursuivant comes from the same French participle.[6][2][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

As a noun, an aspirant, and a plaintiff who brings a suit: before 1393, in Gower's Confessio Amantis.[4][2][3] Etymonline dates the adjective, "done in consequence of something", to the late 14th century as well,[5] but the OED's first adjective, "prosecuting", is from 1542–3.[4][10]

Semantic evolution

The legal noun, a plaintiff or prosecutor, died out by the 17th century,[10][4][7] and a rarer noun meaning simply a pursuer appeared in 1593.[4][10] The main modern use, pursuant to, "following upon and in conformance with", is recorded from 1593 in the OED, frequently in legal texts;[4] Etymonline dates the sense "carrying out, following, according" from the 1690s,[5] and the Shorter Oxford from the mid 17th century.[10] Used as an adverb, pursuant to is recorded from 1659, in a proclamation of Charles II,[4] or from the 1670s in Etymonline.[5] Johnson (1755) defined the adjective as "done in consequence or prosecution of any thing".[11] The literal sense "pursuing, going in pursuit" is recorded from 1649 and is now rare.[4][9]

Timeline

  • before 1393 – noun, an aspirant; a plaintiff.[4][2]
  • 1542–3 – adjective, prosecuting an action in court (obsolete).[4]
  • 1593 – pursuant to, in accordance with; noun, a pursuer.[4]
  • 1649 – adjective, pursuing.[4]
  • 1659 – adverb, pursuant to.[4]
  • 1755 – Johnson defines it as done in consequence or prosecution of anything.[11]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. pursuant to: in accordance with, or carrying out, especially in legal use: The inquiry was opened pursuant to the act of 1998.[9][4]
  2. (archaic) Pursuing; going in pursuit.[9][7][4]

Noun

  1. (obsolete) A plaintiff or prosecutor.[7][4][10]

Usage notes

Collins labels pursuant to chiefly legal and treats it as an adjective,[9] while the OED now enters it as an adverb, the adjectival use having become rare.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Kurath, Hans; Kuhn, Sherman M.; Lewis, Robert E., eds. (1952–2001), Middle English Dictionary, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press; online edition ed. Frances McSparran et al. (2000–2018)
  3. ^ a b Benson, Larry D., Glossarial Concordance to Middle English (Chaucer, Gower), Johns Hopkins University, github.com/jhu-digital-manuscripts/gcme
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
  7. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  8. ^ Stevenson, Angus, ed. (2010), Oxford Dictionary of English, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  9. ^ a b c d e Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  10. ^ a b c d e Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  11. ^ a b Johnson, Samuel (1755), A Dictionary of the English Language, London; 4th ed. 1773; Johnson's Dictionary Online, ed. Beth Rapp Young et al.