Seek vs. Search

Both verbs mean to look for something, but the scope of their usage in terms of the object of the quest is different. Follow the lesson to find out more.

What is the difference between 'seek' and 'search'?

While both 'seek' and 'search' mean to look for somebody or something, 'search' implies a higher level of care and is used in wider variety of contexts while 'seek' is mainly used for non-physical concepts. This lesson will clarify the differences between these two verbs.

Difference in Scope

'Seek' typically implies an effort to find or obtain something. It is often used when talking about looking for non-physical or intangible entities such as a job, information, or assistance, and is commonly used in contexts involving personal, professional, or spiritual pursuits. 'Search', however, has a wider scope of usage and can involve the act of looking carefully for something tangible or intangible, often with the intention of finding or locating it. It emphasizes the process of examining or exploring multiple sources, areas, or possibilities to find what is being sought. Here are some examples:

The organization is seeking volunteers for their upcoming event.

He went to the library to seek answers to his research questions.

He went to the library to search for answers to his research questions.

'Search' can be used instead of 'seek' as it is a more general term and applies to intangible as well as tangible entities.

I need to search for my misplaced keys in the house.

'You cannot use 'seek' instead of 'search' in this sentence as 'seek' is only used for intangible concepts.

Grammatical Difference

'Seek' is always transitive and takes a noun phrase that signifies the thing that is looked for as its object. 'Search', however, can be transitive or intransitive. In its transitive use, it can take a thing/person or a place as its object. In the former case, it needs a prepositional phrase with 'for' as its object, while in the latter, a noun phrase that refers to the place within which something is assumed to be serves as its object. Take a look at some examples:

He's been seeking employment in a prestigious company.

'Seek' is always transitive and takes a noun phrase as its object

I searched everywhere but could not find my book.

'Search' as an intransitive verb.

The archaeologists are searching for ancient artifacts in the desert.

'search' as a transitive verb with a prepositional phrase as its object. In this structure the object is the thing that is looked for.

The police searched the suspect's residence but found nothing.

'search' as a transitive verb with a noun phrase as its object. In this structure, the object is the place that is being explored in order to find something inside it.

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