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Pursue vs Progress - What's the difference?

pursue | progress |

In lang=en terms the difference between pursue and progress

is that pursue is to participate in (an activity, business etc); to practise, follow (a profession) while progress is to move (something) forward; to advance, to expedite.

As verbs the difference between pursue and progress

is that pursue is (obsolete|transitive) to follow with harmful intent; to try to harm, to persecute, torment while progress is to move, go, or proceed forward; to advance.

As a noun progress is

movement or advancement through a series of events, or points in time; development through time.

pursue

English

Verb

(pursu)
  • (obsolete) To follow with harmful intent; to try to harm, to persecute, torment.
  • To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.
  • * Wyclif Bible, John xv. 20
  • The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have pursued' me, they shall ' pursue you also.
  • * 2009 , Martin Chulov, ‘Iraqi shoe-thrower claims he suffered torture in jail’, The Guardian , 15 Sep 09:
  • He now feared for his life, and believed US intelligence agents would pursue him.
  • To follow, travel down (a particular way, course of action etc.).
  • Her rival pursued a quite different course.
  • To aim for, go after (a specified objective, situation etc.).
  • * 2009 , Benjamin Pogrund, ‘Freeze won't hurt Netanyahu’, The Guardian , 1 Dec 09:
  • He even stands to gain in world terms: his noisy critics strengthen his projected image of a man determined to pursue peace with Palestinians.
  • To participate in (an activity, business etc.); to practise, follow (a profession).
  • See also

    * follow * chase

    progress

    Alternative forms

    * (archaic)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

  • Movement or advancement through a series of events, or points in time; development through time.
  • Testing for the new antidote is currently in progress .
  • Specifically, advancement to a higher or more developed state; development, growth.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2012-01
  • , author=Stephen Ledoux , title=Behaviorism at 100 , volume=100, issue=1, page=60 , magazine= citation , passage=Becoming more aware of the progress that scientists have made on behavioral fronts can reduce the risk that other natural scientists will resort to mystical agential accounts when they exceed the limits of their own disciplinary training.}}
    Science has made extraordinary progress in the last fifty years.
  • An official journey made by a monarch or other high personage; a state journey, a circuit.
  • * 2011 , Thomas Penn, Winter King , Penguin 2012, p. 124:
  • With the king about to go on progress , the trials and executions were deliberately timed.
  • * 1887 , (Thomas Hardy), The Woodlanders :
  • Now Tim began to be struck with these loitering progresses along the garden boundaries in the gloaming, and wondered what they boded.
  • Movement onwards or forwards or towards a specific objective or direction; advance.
  • The thick branches overhanging the path made progress difficult.
    Usage notes
    * To make progress'' is often used instead of the verb ''progress''. This allows complex modification of ''progress in ways that can not be well approximated by adverbs modifying the verb. See

    Etymology 2

    From the noun. Lapsed into disuse in the 17th century, except in the US. Considered an Americanism on reintroduction to use in the UK.

    Verb

    (es)
  • to move, go, or proceed forward; to advance.
  • They progress through the museum.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=October 1 , author=Tom Fordyce , title=Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Scotland needed a victory by eight points to have a realistic chance of progressing to the knock-out stages, and for long periods of a ferocious contest looked as if they might pull it off.}}
  • to improve; to become better or more complete.
  • Societies progress unevenly.
  • To move (something) forward; to advance, to expedite.
  • * 2011 , Thomas Penn, Winter King , Penguin 2012, p. 266:
  • Or […] they came to progress matters in which Dudley had taken a hand, and left defrauded or bound over to the king.
    Antonyms
    * congress * regress * retrogress