prosecute

verb

pros·e·cute | \ ˈprä-si-ˌkyüt

prosecuted; prosecuting

Definition of prosecute

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 law

b : to institute legal proceedings with reference to prosecute a claim

intransitive verb

: to institute and carry on a legal suit or prosecution

Other Words from prosecute Synonyms Prosecute vs. Persecute More Example Sentences Learn More about prosecute

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Prosecute vs. Persecute

Take care to distinguish between prosecuted and persecuted, although we sincerely hope that neither word applies to you. Persecute typically has a small range of meanings, such as “to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict.” Although the word is occasionally found in dialectal use to mean “prosecute,” many usage guides consider this to be an error. Prosecute is generally found today in a legal context (“to bring legal action against for redress or punishment of a crime or violation of law”), although the word may also be used to mean “to follow to the end” or “to engage in.” If someone is prosecuted they are being tried in a court of law; if they are persecuted they are being targeted and harassed.

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 on the Web

It’s rarely prosecuted outside of wartime; Gadahn was the first person charged with treason since World War II. — Dylan Matthews, Vox, "Michael Flynn’s judge suggested he might be guilty of treason. He’s not.," 18 Dec. 2018 So prosecuting Assange for publishing Manning's disclosure could run afoul of the First Amendment. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Cut-and-paste error apparently reveals federal charges against Assange," 16 Nov. 2018 Institutions to catch and prosecute graft remain pliable and neglected. — The Economist, "How Andrés Manuel López Obrador will remake Mexico," 23 June 2018 Shortly after Cohen’s sentencing, federal authorities announced a deal not to prosecute AMI. — Tom Hays, The Seattle Times, "‘Dirty deeds’: Ex-Trump lawyer Cohen gets 3 years in prison," 12 Dec. 2018 The Justice Department also has jurisdiction to prosecute Facebook if the company is found to have violated antitrust law by suppressing its own competitors. — Colin Lecher, The Verge, "Facebook fends off new anti-monopoly questions after UK email release," 5 Dec. 2018 The federal government may want to prosecute Assange for his role in the disclosures as well. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Cut-and-paste error apparently reveals federal charges against Assange," 16 Nov. 2018 The Justice Department declined to prosecute the official, who has since retired from the FBI. — Samuel Chamberlain, Fox News, "FBI official improperly accepted sports tickets from reporter, watchdog finds," 16 Oct. 2018 Waxman later expanded the office statement to say the office was beefing up its efforts to combat house theft and stood ready to prosecute even a single rip-off. — Craig R. Mccoy, Philly.com, "A Philadelphia story: Falsely declared dead, home stolen and no one will help," 29 June 2018

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.

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Last Updated

6 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for prosecute

The first known use of prosecute was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for prosecute

prosecute

verb

English Language Learners Definition of prosecute

law : to hold a trial against a person who is accused of a crime to see if that person is guilty

: to work as a lawyer to try to prove a case against someone accused of a crime

: to continue to do (something) : to proceed with (something)

See the full definition for prosecute in the English Language Learners Dictionary

prosecute

verb

pros·e·cute | \ ˈprä-si-ˌkyüt

prosecuted; prosecuting

Kids Definition of prosecute

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

prosecute

verb

pros·e·cute | \ ˈprä-si-ˌkyüt

prosecuted; prosecuting

Legal Definition of prosecute

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