quest
Americannoun
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a search or pursuit made in order to find or obtain something.
a quest for uranium mines;
a quest for knowledge.
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Classical and Medieval Legend. an adventurous expedition undertaken by a knight or knights to secure or achieve something.
the quest of the Holy Grail.
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those engaged in such an expedition.
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British Dialect. inquest.
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Obsolete. a jury of inquest.
verb (used without object)
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to search; seek (often followed by for orafter ).
to quest after hidden treasure.
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to go on a quest.
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Hunting. (of a dog)
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to search for game.
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to bay or give tongue in pursuit of game.
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verb (used with object)
noun
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the act or an instance of looking for or seeking; search
a quest for diamonds
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(in medieval romance) an expedition by a knight or company of knights to accomplish some prescribed task, such as finding the Holy Grail
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the object of a search; goal or target
my quest is the treasure of the king
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rare a collection of alms
verb
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to go in search (of)
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to go on a quest
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to search for game
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to bay when in pursuit of game
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rare to collect alms
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archaic (also tr) to go in search of (a thing); seek or pursue
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of quest
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English noun queste, from Old French, from Latin quaesīta, feminine past participle of quaerere “to seek”; Middle English verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
A quest is all about seeking something important, and it often involves a journey. You would travel the world in a quest for gold. You would not travel to the front of the lunchroom in a quest for tater tots. Knights in the Middle Ages were forever taking on quests––most famously to find the Holy Grail. In modern times, you can quest without ever leaving home, thanks to the Internet. A scientist might embark on a quest to find the cure for cancer. A detective might quest for the truth.
Vocabulary lists containing quest
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Freak the Mighty
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"What Is the Horror Genre?" Vocabulary from the literary criticism
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The movie toggles between the two narratives, slyly exploring the ways creators plunder the lives of those they know in the quest for a good story.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
As the Grammy-award winning DJ Diplo said at WSJ’s Future of Everything conference, young people are trading nightclubs for run clubs in a quest to “live a longer life and have a good time.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
All this on a quest to answer one core question: Can we get ahead investing today like people did in the past?
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
He also occasionally misses the heightened competition and quest to make the major leagues of affiliated baseball.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
I spent the first few weeks of the year on my epic swimming quest, venturing out into the lake in different directions.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
