Learn English – Difference between “search of” and “search for”

nounsusageverbs

I was writing a classified for a company, but I got confused between two different usage of 'search'.

Read the following sentences:

If you're in search of a quality marketing company, then your search ends here!

If you're in search for a quality marketing company, then your search ends here!

Now, I want to know what native speakers say about the usage in above written sentences. Are they both okay? Why?

Thanks for your help.

Best Answer

The first sentence, using "in search of", is the correct one.

  1. "in search of" is an idiomatic phrase, equivalent to "searching for". These mean the same thing:

    I am in search of a good pair of shoes.

    I am searching for a good pair of shoes.

  2. "in search for" is not strictly correct English; there should be an article ("a" or "the") before "search". Leaving articles out is common when trying to be brief, like in news headlines, as seen in Maulik V's answer:

    FBI involved in search for brothers missing in Matamoros.

    The FBI is involved in the [or a] search for two brothers who are missing in Matamoros.

These other two cases are not directly relevant to your specific question, but may help to clarify general uses of "search of/for", when not preceded by "in".

  1. "search for X" means that X is the thing you're trying to find.
  2. "search of X" means that X is the location where you're searching.

    My sunglasses are missing. A search of my car did not find them. The search for my sunglasses is still going.

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