Definition of persecute
persecuted
;persecuting
transitive verb
1 : to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically : to cause to suffer because of belief
2 : to annoy with persistent or urgent approaches (such as attacks, pleas, or importunities) : pester
From the M-W Editors
Examples of persecute in a Sentence
The country's leaders relentlessly persecuted those who fought against the regime.
They were persecuted for their beliefs.
Recent Examples of persecute from the Web
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After a global atomic war, an omnipresent government, headed by the party leader Big Brother, persecutes individualism and uses public mind control to sustain their totalitarian rule.
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Over the last few years, some scientists have argued that non-native species are unfairly persecuted, their negative effects too frequently assumed rather than conclusively demonstrated.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'persecute'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of persecute
Middle English, from Middle French persecuter, back-formation from persecuteur persecutor, from Late Latin persecutor, from persequi to persecute, from Latin, to pursue, from per- through + sequi to follow — more at sue
First Known Use: 15th century
Synonym Discussion of persecute
PERSECUTE Defined for English Language Learners
persecute
playDefinition of persecute for English Language Learners
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: to treat (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious or political beliefs
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: to constantly annoy or bother (someone)
PERSECUTE Defined for Kids
persecute
playDefinition of persecute for Students
persecuted
;persecuting
: to treat continually in a cruel and harmful way
Learn More about persecute
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for persecute Spanish Central: Translation of persecute Nglish: Translation of persecute for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of persecute for Arabic speakers
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