persecution

noun per·se·cu·tion \ ˌpər-si-ˈkyü-shən \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

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

Recent Examples of persecution from the Web

Violence and persecution in Central America had brought many transgender women such as Ms. Quintanilla to this crossroads, along with countless other L.G.B.T. migrants.

— New York Times, "‘They Were Abusing Us the Whole Way’: A Tough Path for Gay and Trans Migrants," 11 July 2018
But many also seek asylum from violence and political persecution.

— NBC News, "Separated from son, one migrant mom takes on the feds," 7 July 2018
Rohingya are still fleeing Myanmar, U.N. says: Rohingya Muslims continue to flee Myanmar's Rakhine state, many telling of violence, persecution, killings and the burning of their homes, the U.N. human rights chief said.

— Washington Post, "World Digest: July 4, 2018," 4 July 2018
The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit is Ansly Damus, described by the ACLU as a Haitian ethics teacher in his early 40s who has been detained for more than a year in Ohio since fleeing to the U.S. to escape gang violence and political persecution.

— jacob gershman, WSJ, "Federal Judge Rules Against Mass Detention of Asylum Seekers," 2 July 2018
Make no mistake—this executive order is a betrayal of families fleeing violence and persecution.

— refinery29.com, "Everything You Need To Know About Trump's Family Separation Policy," 20 June 2018
As of May, an estimated 25.4 million refugees around the globe have fled their homes to escape violence and persecution.

— madeleine ngo, Vox, "3 things we’ve learned since last year’s World Refugee Day," 20 June 2018
At the end of 2017, war, violence, persecution and human rights violations had forced 68.5 million people from their homes worldwide — the highest number ever recorded, according to the United Nations.

— shashank bengali, latimes.com, "Worldwide, 1 in 110 people is displaced from home. Here's what life is like for some of them," 19 June 2018
As an immigration lawyer, my first hurdle was always getting through the instinctive distrust that those who have suffered violence and persecution wear as armor.

— rafia zakaria, The New Republic, "On Sending Women Home to Die," 18 June 2018

These 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.

First Known Use of persecution

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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PERSECUTION Defined for Kids

persecution

noun per·se·cu·tion \ ˌpər-si-ˈkyü-shən \

Definition of persecution for Students

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

Law Dictionary

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

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See words that rhyme with persecution Spanish Central: Translation of persecution Nglish: Translation of persecution for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of persecution for Arabic speakers

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persecution

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persecution

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persecution

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