1.
searching, groping, exploration, feeling one's way
The act of searching for a solution, method, or direction when the answer is not clear. Implies uncertainty and a process of trial and exploration rather than a direct, confident approach.
解決策を模索する。
To search for a solution.
新しい方向性を模索している。
We are exploring a new direction.
会社は業績回復に向けて、さまざまな手段を模索している段階だ。
The company is at the stage of exploring various measures toward recovering its performance.
ETYMOLOGY:
模 (to grope, to feel) + 索 (to search, rope). Literally "groping and searching" — feeling one's way in the dark.
USAGE:
Almost always used as a する verb: 模索する. Common in news, business, and academic contexts. Implies that the answer or path forward is not yet known and that the search involves uncertainty. Often used when organizations or individuals are exploring options during difficult times.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 解決策を模索する: to search for a solution
- 道を模索する: to search for a way forward
- 可能性を模索する: to explore possibilities
- 暗中模索: groping in the dark (idiom for searching without any clues)
- 模索中: in the process of searching/exploring