prosecute

verb

pros·​e·​cute ˈprä-si-ˌkyüt 

prosecuted; prosecuting

transitive verb

1

: to follow to the end : pursue until finished

prosecute a war

2

: to engage in : perform

3

a

: to bring legal action against for redress or punishment of a crime or violation of law

b

: to institute legal proceedings with reference to

prosecute a claim

intransitive verb

: to institute and carry on a legal suit or prosecution

prosecutable

ˌprä-sə-ˈkyü-tə-bəl 

adjective

Did you know?

Prosecute vs. Persecute

Take care to distinguish between prosecuted and persecuted, although we sincerely hope that neither word applies to you. Persecute typically has a small range of meanings, such as “to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict.” Although the word is occasionally found in dialectal use to mean “prosecute,” many usage guides consider this to be an error. Prosecute is generally found today in a legal context (“to bring legal action against for redress or punishment of a crime or violation of law”), although the word may also be used to mean “to follow to the end” or “to engage in.” If someone is prosecuted they are being tried in a court of law; if they are persecuted they are being targeted and harassed.

Synonyms

• accomplish
• achieve
• bring off
• carry off
• carry out
• commit
• compass
• do
• execute
• follow through (with)
• fulfill
• fulfil
• make
• negotiate
• perform
• perpetrate
• pull off
• put through

Examples of prosecute in a Sentence

The store's owner agreed not to prosecute if the boy returned the stolen goods.

The case is being prosecuted by the assistant district attorney.

She criticized the government for the way it has prosecuted the war.

Recent Examples on the Web

Families of the crash victims hoped the government would reconsider prosecuting Boeing after the Jan. 5 door-plug blowout on the Alaska Airlines jetliner as the plane flew above Oregon. —David Koenig, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024

The case was originally prosecuted by his predecessor, Cyrus R. Vance Jr. For Mr. Weinstein, 72, the immediate impact of the ruling might amount to little more than a change of scenery. —Nicole Hong, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024

Madrid’s prosecuting authority on Thursday sought the dismissal of the case. —Reuters, NBC News, 25 Apr. 2024

Trump is the first former president in the nation's history to be prosecuted. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2024

Even before the gavel dropped in Trump v. United States, Sauer had effectively surrendered that unprecedented claim, conceding first that a former president could, in fact, be prosecuted for an official act if he had already been impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate for it. —Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2024

The high court is reviewing whether a former president can be prosecuted for official presidential acts. —Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024

The unidentified minor is being prosecuted in juvenile court, MCAO said. —The Arizona Republic, 23 Apr. 2024

The city attorney prosecutes less-serious crimes in San Diego while the district attorney deals with felonies, and officials said meeting at least once a month helped flag repeat offenders. —Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin prosecutus, past participle of prosequi to pursue — more at pursue

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

prosecute

verb

pros·​e·​cute ˈpräs-i-ˌkyüt 

prosecuted; prosecuting

1

: to follow up to the end : keep at

prosecute a war

2

: to carry on a legal action against an accused person to prove his or her guilt

prosecutable

-ˌkyüt-ə-bəl 

adjective

Legal Definition

prosecute

verb

pros·​e·​cute ˈprä-si-ˌkyüt 

prosecuted; prosecuting

transitive verb

1

: to institute and carry forward legal action against for redress or especially punishment of a crime

2

: to institute and carry on a lawsuit with reference to

an action must be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest

—Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 17(a)

intransitive verb

: to institute and carry on a civil or criminal action

decided not to prosecute

prosecutable

ˌprä-si-ˈkyü-tə-bəl 

adjective

Etymology

Latin prosecutus, past participle of prosequi to pursue