Meaning & use
a seeker
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who is trying to find something, especially truth, knowledge, or spiritual understanding.
Grammar: Countable: 'a seeker', 'many seekers'. Often followed by 'of' or 'after': 'a seeker of truth'.
Patterns
- a seeker of something
- a seeker after something
- a truth seeker
He was a seeker of ancient wisdom who traveled to many countries.
The book is written for spiritual seekers looking for meaning in life.
As a young seeker after justice, she joined the movement.
nouncountable
A person who is looking for a job or other opportunity.
Grammar: Countable; usually in compounds like 'job seeker', 'asylum seeker'.
Patterns
- job seeker
- asylum seeker
- a seeker of employment
The website connects job seekers with local employers.
Asylum seekers often face long waits for their cases to be decided.
Word forms
| plural | seekers |
|---|
Common combinations
- job seeker
- Job seekers can find advice at the career center.
- asylum seeker
- The country accepted more asylum seekers last year.
- truth seeker
- She described herself as a truth seeker, always asking questions.
- spiritual seeker
- Many spiritual seekers travel to India to study meditation.
Synonyms and how they differ
- searcher
- Searcher is more general and often means someone physically looking for something; seeker is more abstract, often spiritual or philosophical.
- applicant
- Applicant is used for someone formally applying for a job or place; seeker is broader and less formal.
Word family
- seek verb
- To try to find or obtain something.
- seeking noun
- The act of looking for something.
Commonly confused: a seeker or seeker?
a seeker vs seeker
Not to be confused with 'seeker' in 'hide-and-seek' where it means the person who seeks the hidden players.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'seeker' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'seeker of' to mean someone trying to find something. Option 1 should be 'seeker of a new job' or more naturally 'job seeker'. Option 2 confuses 'seeker' with 'suspect' or 'criminal'. Option 3 uses 'seekers to find', which is not grammatical; you would say 'they are seeking the treasure'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a seeker”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.