per·se·cu·tion
| \ ˌpər-si-ˈkyü-shən
\
\
Definition of persecution
1
: the act or practice of persecuting especially those who differ in origin, religion, or social outlook
2
: the condition of being persecuted, harassed, or annoyed
Examples of persecution in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rights groups and politicians in Britain had mounted pressure to stop the deportations, arguing that the deportees are at risk of persecution in Zimbabwe.
—
Farai Mutsaka, Star Tribune, 22 July 2021
John Smyth, who founded the first Baptist church in Amsterdam around 1609 after fleeing religious persecution in England, believed that God allowed humans to make their own choices.
—
Susan M. Shaw, al, 2 July 2021
Medina León came to the U.S. fleeing persecution in El Salvador as a trans woman.
—
Javier Arce, The Arizona Republic, 1 July 2021
Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic were convicted of aiding and abetting the crimes of murder, deportation, forcible transfer, and persecution in the town of Bosanski Samac, and each was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment.
—
Mike Corder, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 July 2021
John Smyth, who founded the first Baptist church in Amsterdam around 1609 after fleeing religious persecution in England, believed that God allowed humans to make their own choices.
—
Susan M. Shaw, The Conversation, 1 July 2021
In the 1930s, Jewish teenagers fleeing persecution in their native Germany and Austria arrived in the UK on kindertransport.
—
Richard Galant, CNN, 30 May 2021
The sons were granted asylum on the basis of risking persecution in Syria.
—
New York Times, 14 Apr. 2021
Hong Kong residents organized a protest in sympathy with Uyghurs facing persecution in China; the protest was stormed by riot police.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2021
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'persecution.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More About persecution
Statistics for persecution
Last Updated
29 Jul 2021
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Persecution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persecution. Accessed 5 Aug. 2021.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for persecution
persecution
noun
per·se·cu·tion
| \ ˌpər-si-ˈkyü-shən
\
\
Kids Definition of persecution
1
: the act of continually treating in a cruel and harmful way
2
: the state of being continually treated in a cruel and harmful way
persecution
noun
per·se·cu·tion
Legal Definition of persecution
: punishment or harassment usually of a severe nature on the basis of race, religion, or political opinion in one's country of origin
claimed persecution and sought asylum
Test Your Vocabulary
Dog Words Quiz
-
- Which of the following animals has a dog in its etymology?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share persecution
Time Traveler for persecution
The first known use of persecution was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century