Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: secan

seek

 verb
     
seek W1 past tense and past participle sought [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.
! In spoken English it is more usual to use look for or try to find.
2

seek (somebody's) advice/help/assistance etc

formal to ask someone for advice or help:
If the symptoms persist, seek medical advice.
! In spoken English it is more usual to use try to get.
3 written to look for someone or something [= look for]:
new graduates seeking employment
Attractive woman, 27, seeks male, 25-35, for fun and friendship.
4

seek your fortune

literary to go to another place hoping to gain success and wealth:
Coles came to the Yukon in the 1970s to seek his fortune.
5 to move naturally towards something or into a particular position:
Water seeks its own level.

seek somebody/something ↔ out

phrasal verb
to try to find someone or something, especially when this is difficult:
Our mission is to seek out the enemy and destroy them.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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