Definition of prosecute
prosecuted
;prosecuting
transitive verb
1 : to follow to the end : pursue until finished prosecute a war
2 : to engage in : perform
3a : to bring legal action against for redress or punishment of a crime or violation of lawb : to institute legal proceedings with reference to prosecute a claim
intransitive verb
: to institute and carry on a legal suit or prosecution
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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 of prosecute from the Web
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A few months into McCain’s imprisonment, his father, Adm. John S. McCain Jr., was named the Pentagon’s commander in chief for the Pacific, a job that essentially put him in charge of prosecuting the Vietnam War.
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Under pressure from the United States and Europe, the junta that came to power in a coup in 2014 made a display of prosecuting members of the ring, including General Manas.
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Never mind the federal courts’ well-established, successful track record of prosecuting terrorism suspects; those with an unwavering committment to the Guantanamo project embrace its symbolism, regardless of the history and facts.
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With the investigation underway, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant warned people not to remove debris from the area and said that anyone taking something could be prosecuted.
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A break-in this week at offices of the national prosecuting authority, in which laptops were stolen, followed a similar burglary at the Hawks, an elite crime-fighting unit.
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Well, these e-mails have turned it into an all-you-can-prosecute buffet. . . .
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Both cases were prosecuted by Trenna L. Manners, Assistant State's Attorney, and investigated by the Harford County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division.
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If the charges are backed by two-thirds of Congress, Temer will be prosecuted at the Supreme Court and obliged to stand down as president for 180 days.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prosecute.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of prosecute
Middle English, from Latin prosecutus, past participle of prosequi to pursue — more at pursue
PROSECUTE Defined for English Language Learners
prosecute
playDefinition of prosecute for English Language Learners
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law : to hold a trial against a person who is accused of a crime to see if that person is guilty
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: to work as a lawyer to try to prove a case against someone accused of a crime
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: to continue to do (something) : to proceed with (something)
PROSECUTE Defined for Kids
prosecute
playDefinition of prosecute for Students
prosecuted
;prosecuting
1 : to carry on a legal action against an accused person to prove his or her guilt
2 : to follow up to the end : keep at prosecute a war
Law Dictionary
prosecute
playLegal Definition of prosecute
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
Origin and Etymology of prosecute
Latin prosecutus, past participle of prosequi to pursue
Learn More about prosecute
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for prosecute Spanish Central: Translation of prosecute Nglish: Translation of prosecute for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of prosecute for Arabic speakers
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