(ancien français cerchier, du bas latin circare, aller autour)
1. Se déplacer, parcourir un lieu, faire des efforts pour trouver ou retrouver quelque chose ou quelqu'un qui se trouve à un endroit inconnu ou oublié : Chercher une facture égarée.
Chercher à (+ infinitif) : il cherche à obtenir le meilleur résultat possible.
remarque La construction avec de (chercher d'obtenir...) est sortie de l'usage.
Chercher à ce que, chercher que (+ subjonctif) : elle cherche à ce qu'il parvienne à ce résultat ou elle cherche qu'il parvienne à ce résultat. Les deux constructions sont admises. La première est plus courante ; la seconde plus soutenue.
remarque Manuels et grammaires recommandent en général d'introduire la proposition complément par que (et non par à ce que) ; en réalité cette construction est rare avec le verbe chercher, même dans la langue littéraire. La construction avec à ce que et surtout la construction avec à + infinitif (elle cherche à le faire parvenir à ce résultat) sont beaucoup plus fréquentes.
Ça va chercher dans les vingt mille. Cette expression est courante dans le registre familier pour marquer l'approximation dans l'évaluation d'un prix (notamment d'un prix jugé élevé).
recommandation : Dans l'expression soignée, préférer : cela coûte environ vingt mille euros, cela peut monter à vingt mille euros ou s'élever à vingt mille euros, cela reviendra à vingt mille euros au moins, etc.
Citations avec chercher
Henri Bergson (Paris 1859-Paris 1941) Il y a des choses que l'intelligence seule est capable de chercher, mais que, par elle-même, elle ne trouvera jamais. Ces choses, l'instinct seul les trouverait ; mais il ne les cherchera jamais. L'Évolution créatrice, P.U.F.
saint Bernard, de Clairvaux (château de Fontaine, près de Dijon, 1090-Clairvaux 1153) Si vous êtes bon, Seigneur, à l'âme qui vous cherche, qu'êtes-vous donc pour celle qui vous trouve ? Mais il y a ceci d'admirable que personne ne puisse vous chercher sans vous avoir d'abord trouvé. Traité de l'amour de Dieu, X Bonus es, Domine, animae quaerenti te ; quid ergo invenienti ? Sed enim in hoc est mirum, quod nemo te quaerere volet, nisi qui prius invenerit.
Bible Demandez et l'on vous donnera ; cherchez et vous trouverez ; frappez et l'on vous ouvrira. Évangile selon saint Matthieu, VII, 7
Bible Soyez sobres, veillez. Votre partie adverse, le Diable, comme un lion rugissant, rôde, cherchant qui dévorer. Épîtres de saint Pierre, Ière, V, 8
Bible Tu rechercheras Yahvé ton Dieu ; et tu le trouveras si tu le cherches de tout ton cœur et de toute ton âme. Ancien Testament, Deutéronome IV, 29
Commentaire Citation empruntée à la Bible de Jérusalem.
André Breton (Tinchebray, Orne, 1896-Paris 1966) Deux mains qui se cherchent c'est assez pour le toit de demain. Signe ascendant, Gallimard
sainte Catherine, de Sienne [Caterina Benincasa] (Sienne 1347-Rome 1380) Ô Toi, Trinité éternelle, mer profonde dans laquelle plus je pénètre, plus je te trouve, et où plus je te trouve, plus je te cherche ! Tu, Trinità eterna, sei uno mare profondo, che quanto più c'entro tanto più truovo, e quanto più truovo più cerco di te. Dialogo della Divina Provvidenza, CLXVII
Jean Cocteau (Maisons-Laffitte 1889-Milly-la-Forêt 1963) Académie française, 1955 Trouver d'abord. Chercher après. Journal d'un inconnu, Grasset
Denis Diderot (Langres 1713-Paris 1784) On doit exiger que je cherche la vérité, mais non que je la trouve. Pensées philosophiques
Bernard Le Bovier deFontenelle (Rouen 1657-Paris 1757) Il est vrai qu'on ne peut trouver la pierre philosophale, mais il est bon qu'on la cherche. Dialogues des morts
saint Grégoire, de Nysse (Césarée de Cappadoce vers 335-Nysse vers 394) Chercher n'est pas une chose et trouver une autre, mais le gain de la recherche, c'est la recherche même. Homélies sur l'Ecclésiaste (traduction M. Canevet)
Victor Hugo (Besançon 1802-Paris 1885) […] Dieu bénit l'homme, Non pour avoir trouvé, mais pour avoir cherché. Les Contemplations, la Vie aux champs, I, 6
Victor Hugo (Besançon 1802-Paris 1885) Au fond, Dieu veut que l'homme désobéisse. Désobéir c'est chercher. Tas de pierres, Éditions Milieu du monde
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, dit Molière (Paris 1622-Paris 1673) […] Et l'on cherche souvent plus qu'on ne veut trouver. L'École des femmes, I, 4, Arnolphe
Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (château de Montaigne, aujourd'hui commune de Saint-Michel-de-Montaigne, Dordogne, 1533-château de Montaigne, aujourd'hui commune de Saint-Michel-de-Montaigne, Dordogne, 1592) Je réponds ordinairement à ceux qui me demandent raison de mes voyages : que je sais bien ce que je fuis, mais non pas ce que je cherche. Essais, III, 9
Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (château de Montaigne, aujourd'hui commune de Saint-Michel-de-Montaigne, Dordogne, 1533-château de Montaigne, aujourd'hui commune de Saint-Michel-de-Montaigne, Dordogne, 1592) Nous sommes nés à quêter* la vérité ; il appartient de la posséder à une plus grande puissance. Essais, III, 8 *faits naturellement pour chercher
Blaise Pascal (Clermont, aujourd'hui Clermont-Ferrand, 1623-Paris 1662) Console-toi, tu ne me chercherais pas si tu ne m'avais trouvé. Pensées, 553
Commentaire Chaque citation des Pensées porte en référence un numéro. Celui-ci est le numéro que porte dans l'édition Brunschvicg - laquelle demeure aujourd'hui la plus généralement répandue - le fragment d'où la citation est tirée.
Blaise Pascal (Clermont, aujourd'hui Clermont-Ferrand, 1623-Paris 1662) Je blâme également, et ceux qui prennent parti de louer l'homme, et ceux qui le prennent de le blâmer, et ceux qui le prennent de se divertir ; et je ne puis approuver que ceux qui cherchent en gémissant. Pensées, 421
Commentaire Chaque citation des Pensées porte en référence un numéro. Celui-ci est le numéro que porte dans l'édition Brunschvicg - laquelle demeure aujourd'hui la plus généralement répandue - le fragment d'où la citation est tirée.
Pablo RuizPicasso (Málaga 1881-Mougins 1973) Je peux à peine comprendre l'importance donnée au mot recherche dans la peinture moderne. À mon avis, chercher ne signifie rien en peinture. Ce qui compte, c'est trouver. In revue The ArtsPicasso speaks, New York, 1923
Commentaire Cette réflexion est citée d'ordinaire sous une forme condensée : « Je ne cherche pas, je trouve. »
Romain Rolland (Clamecy 1866-Vézelay 1944) La vérité, c'est de chercher toujours la vérité. Clérambault, Albin Michel
Jean Rostand (Paris 1894-Ville-d'Avray 1977) Académie française, 1959 On n'est pas vieux tant que l'on cherche. Carnet d'un biologiste, Stock
Paul Valéry (Sète 1871-Paris 1945) L'homme est absurde par ce qu'il cherche, grand par ce qu'il trouve. Moralités, Gallimard
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