prosecution
noun
pros·e·cu·tion
ˌprä-si-ˈkyü-shən 
1
: the act or process of prosecuting
specifically
: the institution and continuance of a criminal suit involving the process of pursuing formal charges against an offender to final judgment
2
: the party by whom criminal proceedings are instituted or conducted
3
obsolete
: pursuit
Examples of prosecution in a Sentence
There has been an increase in prosecutions for gun-related crimes.
The defendant is awaiting prosecution.
The prosecution called their first witness.
The prosecution rests, Your Honor.
The defense told the jury that the prosecution had not proved its case.
Recent Examples on the Web
Now, more federal resources will be wasted on this fiasco as the government tries to move forward with a prosecution of a sitting judge whose alleged crime was simply letting a defendant walk through a different hallway.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2025
The reaction against John Adams and his party, and the anger over these laws, including at least twenty-five (and likely more than fifty) prosecutions under the Sedition Act, have been cited as causes of the Federalist loss in 1800.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 25 Apr. 2025
The only prosecution witness to testify on April 24 was a former Weinstein assistant, Stefan Sterns, who remembered seeing one of Weinstein’s accusers, Miriam Haley, in a New York hotel lobby in 2006 and on another occasion patching a call from Haley through to his boss.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
Legalizing Pornography: Ukraine makes tax revenue off the creators of pornographic content, but also threatens them with prosecution.
—Lara Jakes, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prosecution
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2025
The reaction against John Adams and his party, and the anger over these laws, including at least twenty-five (and likely more than fifty) prosecutions under the Sedition Act, have been cited as causes of the Federalist loss in 1800.
—Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 25 Apr. 2025
The only prosecution witness to testify on April 24 was a former Weinstein assistant, Stefan Sterns, who remembered seeing one of Weinstein’s accusers, Miriam Haley, in a New York hotel lobby in 2006 and on another occasion patching a call from Haley through to his boss.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
Legalizing Pornography: Ukraine makes tax revenue off the creators of pornographic content, but also threatens them with prosecution.
—Lara Jakes, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prosecution
Cite this Entry
“Prosecution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prosecution. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prosecution
noun
pros·e·cu·tion
ˌpräs-i-ˈkyü-shən
1
: the act or process of prosecuting
especially
: the bringing and continuance of a criminal case
2
: the one bringing charges of crime against a person being tried
especially
: the state's lawyers in a criminal case
Legal Definition
prosecution
noun
pros·e·cu·tion
ˌprä-si-ˈkyü-shən
1
: the act or process of prosecuting
especially
: the institution and carrying on of a criminal action involving the process of seeking formal charges against a person and pursuing those charges to final judgment
2
: the party by whom criminal proceedings are instituted or conducted compare defense sense 3, plaintiff
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