In law, “pursuant to” means “in accordance with” or “as authorized by.” When a contract, statute, court filing, or agency notice says something is being done pursuant to a particular rule or section, it is telling you that the action traces back to that specific authority and must follow whatever that authority requires. The phrase is a pointer: whatever follows it is where the real substance lives.
The Short Definition
“Pursuant to” creates a link between an action and the legal rule that authorizes or requires it. If a lease says your landlord can enter the apartment “pursuant to Section 8 of this agreement,” the landlord’s right to enter comes from that specific section and is limited by whatever conditions it sets. The phrase does two jobs at once. It identifies the source of authority, and it signals that the action must conform to that source.
You can usually replace it in your head with “under” or “as authorized by” and the sentence will still make sense. That is a fair shortcut when you are reading someone else’s document.
How to Read It in a Document
Treat “pursuant to” as an arrow. Whatever follows the phrase is where your rights, obligations, or deadlines actually live. If a letter tells you to respond “pursuant to Paragraph 12 of your lease,” stop reading the letter and go read Paragraph 12. The letter is only telling you the rule exists. The paragraph tells you what the rule requires.
Pay attention to whether the phrase points to a specific section or to something vague like “applicable law” or “the terms hereof.” A specific reference gives you something concrete to look up. A vague one often means the drafter was not sure which provision applied, or was trying to cast a wide net. If you are about to sign a contract and “pursuant to” points to a section you cannot find or do not understand, flag it before you sign.
Where You’ll See It
The phrase shows up across almost every kind of legal document. Recognizing the pattern makes these documents easier to read.
Contracts
Contracts use “pursuant to” to tie obligations back to specific clauses. A payment clause might read, “Payment shall be made pursuant to Section 4 of this Agreement.” That tells both parties Section 4 controls how, when, and in what amount payment happens. If a dispute arises, the parties look to Section 4 for the answer rather than to general principles or assumptions about what is fair.
Statutes and Regulations
Legislatures use “pursuant to” when one section of a law depends on another. If a statute refers to shareholders “excused from filing annual reports pursuant to subsection 4,” subsection 4 is the provision that controls the excusal. To understand why the company stopped filing, that is where to look.
Court Filings
Lawyers filing motions almost always identify the procedural rule that authorizes the motion. A motion to dismiss for failure to state a valid legal claim is filed “pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6)” of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which specifically lists that ground as a basis for dismissal. The phrase signals to the court that there is a specific rule permitting the request.
Agency Actions
Federal and state agencies issue rules, licenses, and enforcement actions “pursuant to” the statutes that give them authority. When the Environmental Protection Agency issues an emissions standard “pursuant to the Clean Air Act,” it is telling regulated industries that Congress gave the agency this specific power. Without that link, the action could be challenged as exceeding the agency’s authority.
How It Differs from “Under” and “In Accordance With”
These phrases look interchangeable, and lawyers often use them that way, but they carry slightly different shades.
“Pursuant to” implies a direct, specific dependency. When something happens “pursuant to Section 5,” Section 5 is the principal basis for the action. “Under” is broader and looser. Something done “under Section 5” might be directly authorized by it or might just be generally related to it. One judicial drafting guide puts it this way: “pursuant to” denotes things principally or specifically dependent on a provision, while “under” also covers things merely related to it.
“In accordance with” emphasizes conformity with a set of rules. Saying a license was issued “in accordance with Section 5” makes clear that Section 5 sets out governing rules and the license satisfies them. “Authorized by” is narrower still, pointing only to the grant of power rather than the rules that must be followed.
For most readers working through a document someone else drafted, treating these three as roughly equivalent is fine. The distinctions matter most when you are writing or negotiating a contract and want precision about whether a clause creates authority, imposes requirements, or just references a related provision.
Why Some Legal Writers Avoid It
“Pursuant to” exists almost exclusively inside legal documents. Non-lawyers say “under” for a loose reference or “according to” when they want to be specific. The phrase has persisted in legal writing for over two centuries largely out of habit.
The plain-language movement has pushed back. The SEC’s Plain English Handbook tells drafters to “ruthlessly eliminate jargon and legalese” and to “use short, common words to get your points across.”1SEC.gov. A Plain English Handbook The Plain Writing Act of 2010 requires federal agencies to use “writing that is clear, concise, well-organized” in documents they issue or substantially revise.2GovInfo. Public Law 111-274 Plain Writing Act of 2010 Neither source bans the phrase by name, but modern style guides recommend replacing it with “under,” “as required by,” or “in accordance with,” depending on the writer’s actual meaning.
The criticism is not only about style. Because “pursuant to” can mean “authorized by,” “in accordance with,” “as required by,” or “in response to,” a single phrase does the work of several more precise alternatives. A drafter who writes “a license issued pursuant to Section 5” has not told the reader whether Section 5 grants the authority to issue the license or sets out rules the license must satisfy. If you are drafting your own documents, picking the more specific phrase will serve the reader better and will not sacrifice any legal precision.