pursuance

/pə(ɹ)ˈsjuːəns/

//pə(ɹ)ˈsjuːəns// noun

"pursuance" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pursuance” is uncommon English (frequency #73,558 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#73,558
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A search for something; a pursuit or quest.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pursuance · pursuance · English

pursuance · rank #73,558 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #73,558
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH quarrelsome

Nearest frequency peer: quarrelsome (+3 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “pursuance”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “pursuance” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for pursuance
PropertyValue
Headwordpursuance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pə(ɹ)ˈsjuːəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#73,558
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pursuance” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).pursuancefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “quarrelsome” (#73,561), “pricy” (#73,553), “Quintanilla” (#73,563). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pursuance” is #73,558. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pursuance is uncommon English at frequency #73,558 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /pə(ɹ)ˈsjuːəns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

pursuance has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pursue + -ance. The correct English form is pursuance, spelled P-U-R-S-U-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A search for something; a pursuit or quest.
  2. 2
    A completion or putting into effect of something already begun; a prosecution.
  3. 3
    The state of being pursuant; consequence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how pursuance appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. [N]o man ought to be offended, that sermons are not like curious inquiries after new nothings, but pursuances of old truths.
  2. About 1350 she went to Rome, partly to obtain from the pope the authorization of the new order, partly in pursuance of her self-imposed mission to elevate the moral tone of the age.

Etymology

From pursue + -ance.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "pursuance"?
"pursuance" is spelled P-U-R-S-U-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /pə(ɹ)ˈsjuːəns/.
What does "pursuance" mean?
As a noun, "pursuance" means: A search for something; a pursuit or quest.
How do you pronounce "pursuance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pursuance" is /pə(ɹ)ˈsjuːəns/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "pursuance"?
From pursue + -ance. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "pursuance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list