persecution
noun
per·se·cu·tion
ˌpər-si-ˈkyü-shən 
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
The hearings repeatedly pointed to senior Venezuelan officials as politically responsible for the persecution campaign, including Maduro, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez —Delcy Rodriguez’s brother — and González López.
—
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
Brownback recently chronicled Chunyan’s story and the experiences of other survivors in his book China’s War on Faith, arguing that personal testimony can often reveal the reality of persecution more powerfully than statistics alone.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
The boy might have been named Jersey because Ourry was born in St Helier — the capital of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands — after his Huguenot family fled persecution in France, according to the National Trust.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Iranian American actor Anthony Azizi says the continuing Middle East conflict has sparked rising persecution of Iran’s Baha’i minority, including its members being jailed and tortured under the threat of execution.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for persecution
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026
Brownback recently chronicled Chunyan’s story and the experiences of other survivors in his book China’s War on Faith, arguing that personal testimony can often reveal the reality of persecution more powerfully than statistics alone.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
The boy might have been named Jersey because Ourry was born in St Helier — the capital of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands — after his Huguenot family fled persecution in France, according to the National Trust.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Iranian American actor Anthony Azizi says the continuing Middle East conflict has sparked rising persecution of Iran’s Baha’i minority, including its members being jailed and tortured under the threat of execution.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for persecution
Cite this Entry
“Persecution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persecution. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
persecution
noun
per·se·cu·tion
ˌpər-si-ˈkyü-shən
1
: the act or practice of persecuting
2
: the condition of being persecuted
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
