Questants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who embark on a journey or pursuit in search of a goal or challenge
2. Participants engaged in an adventure or undertaking that requires striving toward an objective
3. Those who seek knowledge, experience, or personal growth through exploration and effort

Etymology: "Questants" is the plural of "questant," a word for someone who goes in search of something, whether a goal, a prize, or a purpose. The singular form comes from "quest," which entered English from Old French "queste" and ultimately from Latin "quaesita," meaning "things sought," the feminine past participle of "quaerere," "to seek." The same Latin root gave English "question" and "acquire," so "questant" shares its ancestry with words about asking and gaining. Because "questant" is simply "quest" with an agent-forming ending, the word needed no special invention to make sense. Its plural follows the regular English pattern of adding "-s." The word is rare, which means many readers will meet it first in older or literary writing, where it reads as a more formal alternative to "seeker."

Synonyms: seekers, searchers, pursuers, applicants, candidates

Antonyms: finders, discoverers, owners, holders