achievevspursue
Achieve and pursue both involve a goal, but they mark different moments. Pursue is to go after something — to chase a goal, career, or interest with sustained effort, the gap still open (pursue a degree, pursue a dream). Achieve is to reach it at last — to bring the goal all the way to success through effort (achieve a target, achieve greatness). Pursue is the chase still underway; achieve is the arrival.
Someone starts up the long face of a hill, small against it, taking the slope one even step at a time. Near the top a faint light sits waiting, no bigger than a coin. The last stretch is the slow one — a hand goes up, finds it — and the instant it is touched the light swells, bright and sure, held above the head where the climb ran out. Nothing was handed up; the whole long climb is in that one glow.
/əˈtʃiːv//əˈtʃiːv/·verbSomeone breaks into a run with one hand flung out ahead, fingers spread for a light that hovers just past them. Every time the stride gains and the hand nearly closes on it, the light slides forward by the very same distance, and the gap stays exactly as wide as before. The legs keep driving, the reach keeps stretching — all of it is the going-after, none of it the catching.
/pərˈsuː//pəˈsjuː/·verbBoth belong to the world of goals and effort, which is why they pair, but they sit at opposite ends of the same journey. Pursue, from Latin prosequi ('to follow after'), is all forward motion — you are after the thing, closing the gap but not yet there. Achieve, from Old French achever ('to bring to a head'), is the finish — the goal reached, the effort carried through to success. You pursue a qualification for years and finally achieve it. Pursue names the striving; achieve names the result.
What each means
achieve
To achieve something is to reach it on purpose and at a cost — to bring a goal all the way to its head after effort, not to stumble into it. The word comes from Old French achever, 'to bring to a head', and that finishing sense still clings to it: you achieve a result, a target, a standard, rarely a small daily act. It implies the climb behind the outcome, which is why we speak of a hard-won achievement and never of achieving breathing.
pursue
To pursue something is to go after it — to chase a person, a goal, or a line of thought with sustained effort. It comes through Old French from Latin prosequi, 'to follow after', and that following is the heart of it: a pursuit is all forward motion, the gap between you and the thing still open. You pursue a career, a degree, a suspect, an interest. Where to achieve is to reach the goal at last, and to abandon is to turn away from it, pursue is the chase still underway.
At a glance
| achieve | pursue | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | to reach a goal at last, through effort | to go after a goal with sustained effort |
| Moment | the arrival; the goal reached | the chase, still underway |
| The gap | closed — you are there | still open — you are after it |
| Often with | achieve a target, a goal, success, greatness | pursue a career, a degree, a dream, an interest |
| Root | Old French achever, 'bring to a head' | Latin prosequi, 'follow after' |
| Example | She achieved her best result yet. | She is pursuing a law degree. |
How to remember the difference
Both belong to a goal — ask whether you are still after it or have reached it. Pursue is the runner reaching for a light that keeps its lead: all forward motion, the gap still open, the catching never quite done (pursue a career, pursue a dream). Achieve is the climber who touches the light at the top and watches it swell: the goal reached at last, the effort carried through (achieve a target, achieve success). If you are still going after it, you pursue it; if you have reached it, you achieve it.
Examples
achieve
- After years of training she achieved her first marathon finish.
- The team achieved record sales this quarter.
- Few students achieve a perfect score.
pursue
- He left his job to pursue a career in music.
- She is pursuing a doctorate in marine biology.
- They vowed to pursue the matter until they got an answer.
They are not interchangeable — they mark different stages of one effort. You pursue a goal (the striving) and, if it goes well, you achieve it (the result). Saying you 'pursued a target' leaves it open; saying you 'achieved' it declares it reached. Pursue can also mean to chase a person or carry on an activity (pursue a suspect, pursue a hobby), senses achieve never has.
FAQ
- What is the difference between achieve and pursue?
- Pursue is to go after a goal with sustained effort, the gap still open (pursue a degree, pursue a dream). Achieve is to reach it at last, through effort (achieve a target, achieve success). Pursue is the chase still underway; achieve is the arrival.
- Are achieve and pursue synonyms?
- They are closely related goal words but not true synonyms — pursue names the striving toward a goal, achieve names reaching it. You pursue something first and achieve it later.
- Can achieve and pursue be used interchangeably?
- No — they mark different stages. Use pursue while you are still working toward a goal, and achieve once you have reached it.
- Does pursue mean to chase?
- Yes — pursue can mean to chase a person or thing (pursue a suspect) and to carry on an activity (pursue a hobby), as well as to work toward a goal. Achieve is only about reaching a result.
- Which is the result and which is the process?
- Pursue is the process — the effort and the chase. Achieve is the result — the goal reached. You pursue, then achieve.
- What are the noun forms?
- Achieve gives achievement; pursue gives pursuit.