From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishseekseek /siːk/ ●●● S2 W1 AWL verb (past tense and past participle sought /sɔːt $ sɒːt/) [transitive] 1 formal to try to achieve or get something Do you think the president will seek re-election?seek refuge/asylum/shelter etc Thousands of people crossed the border, seeking refuge from the war.seek revenge/damages/compensation etc He sought revenge against Surkov for separating him from his wife and son.seek to do something Local schools are seeking to reduce the dropout rate.attention-seeking/publicity-seeking2 → seek (somebody’s) advice/help/assistance etc3 LOOK FOR written to look for someone or something SYN look for new graduates seeking employment Attractive woman, 27, seeks male, 25-35, for fun and friendship.► see thesaurus at searchRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say that they are looking for someone or something rather than seeking someone or something:What kind of job are you looking for?4 → seek your fortune5 MOVE/CHANGE POSITIONto move naturally towards something or into a particular position Water seeks its own level. → heat-seeking, hide-and-seek, self-seeking, sought-afterCOLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2nounsseek helpHe sought help from the police.seek advice/informationIf in any doubt, seek the advice of a senior officer.seek support/approvalHe said he would seek shareholder support for the proposal.seek permissionThey are seeking permission to build 200 new houses.seek refuge/asylum/shelter (=try to find somewhere safe)They sought refuge inside the castle.seek election/re-election (=try to be elected or re-elected)He hasn’t decided whether to seek re-election.seek compensation/damages (=ask for money because of something bad you have suffered)The other two may seek compensation for wrongful imprisonment.seek revengeDafoe plays a computer mastermind who seeks revenge on his former employer.adverbsactivelyThe university is actively seeking new funds.desperatelyThey ran in all directions, desperately seeking escape. → seek somebody/something ↔ out→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
seek• In his lawsuit, Wyman is seeking $12 million in damages from his former employers.• The Carsons sought advice from their lawyer.• Each person has never sought an honour or payment for their selfless work, preferring quietly to get on with the job.• Or shall we seek comfort in the language of religion?• The number of needy Americans seeking emergency food and shelter increased by 7% last year.• Economics graduate, aged 25, with business experience, seeks interesting part-time work in the West London area.• If you are at all worried about your symptoms, you should seek medical advice.• Take two tablets every four hours. If symptoms persist, seek medical advice.• Do you think the President will seek re-election?• It presumes that reality is dynamic rather than static, and therefore seeks relationships between ideas, to aim at synthesis.• The government is seeking support from teachers for its latest education reforms.• The counsellor should seek to be as warm, supportive and caring as possible.• It seeks to put legislative power directly into the hands of the people and circumvent the long-standing institutions of representative government.• Significantly, almost 66 % of the patients reported previously seeking treatment from other physicians for their erectile dysfunction.• Holding elections to seek voter approval of existing taxes and fees is another expense.seek re-election• Also pictured is Annie Gallagher, who did not seek re-election.• Clinton will accept the Democratic nomination for a second-term without ever having publicly declared his intention to seek re-election.• D., who is seeking re-election.• He too is thought not to be seeking re-election.• His son Kieran then succeeded him and retained his seat there until 1989 when he did not seek re-election.• Presidential elections are scheduled in December, and Kim is barred by law from seeking re-election.• However some colleagues fear his decision not to seek re-election illustrates a deep unhappiness within middle ranks of the party.• The law bars 26 veteran legislators, including the Democratic leaders of both houses, from seeking re-election next year.From Longman Business Dictionaryseekseek /siːk/ verb (past tense and past participle sought) /sɔːtsɒːt/ [transitive] to try to get or achieve somethingEven while takeover talks were in progress, the company sought other potential buyers.Benefit claimants are asked to prove they are activelyseeking work.seek to do somethingThe directors sought to expand the business through speculation. —seeker noun [countable]A fall in the number of youngjob-seekers is expected.→ See Verb tableOrigin seek Old English secan 