prosecution

noun

pros·e·cu·tion | \ ˌprä-si-ˈkyü-shən

Definition of prosecution

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

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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

At Joyner’s first trial, the prosecution asked Elkhart Circuit Judge Gene Duffin to exclude evidence pointing to Bowen. — Christian Sheckler, ProPublica, "The Questionable Conviction, and Re-Conviction, of Ricky Joyner," 20 July 2019 The prosecution called 16 witnesses before resting Wednesday. — Evan Macdonald, cleveland.com, "Jury deliberating in trial for Cleveland police supervisor charged in chase from ’137 shots’ case," 19 July 2019 Once the investigation is complete, the prosecution will decide whether to formally charge the rapper. — Fortune, "Rapper A$AP Rocky Will Remain in Swedish Detention for Another Week," 19 July 2019 Reznick owes more than $124,000 in restitution and more than $4,500 in prosecution costs. — Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, "Former village police chief sentenced to prison in firearms scheme," 18 July 2019 Public defenders Morgen Oswood and Angela Brant questioned Serrano and the detective’s credibility, saying the prosecution was relying on hearsay to show that Gallegos was even present at the shooting and that a robbery occurred. — Saja Hindi, The Denver Post, "Teen accused of robbing, killing Cherokee Trail High School rugby player in illegal vape sale to face trial," 17 July 2019 Breaking the act carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, though prosecutions are rare. — Jill Lawless, BostonGlobe.com, "Leaked UK memo says Trump axed Iran deal to spite Obama," 14 July 2019 Such prosecutions were a key element of the family-separation policy that Trump imposed and had to abandon quickly last year. — Nr Editors, National Review, "The Week," 11 July 2019 Such prosecutions are not everyday events, but state and federal agencies sometimes use them to condemn serious financial or regulatory wrongdoing. — Bob Egelko, SFChronicle.com, "Criminal charges against PG&E could send message in Northern California wildfires," 10 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prosecution.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near prosecution

Statistics for prosecution

Last Updated

23 Jul 2019

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Time Traveler for prosecution

The first known use of prosecution was in 1545

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More Definitions for prosecution

prosecution

noun

English Language Learners Definition of prosecution

: the act or process of holding a trial against a person who is accused of a crime to see if that person is guilty

: the side of a legal case which argues that a person who is accused of a crime is guilty : the lawyer or lawyers who prosecute someone in a court case

formal : the act of doing or continuing to do something

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

prosecution

noun

pros·e·cu·tion | \ ˌprä-si-ˈkyü-shən

Kids Definition of prosecution

1 : the act of carrying on a legal action against a person accused of a crime in court

2 : the lawyers in a criminal case trying to prove that the accused person is guilty The prosecution will try to prove it was murder.

prosecution

noun

pros·e·cu·tion | \ ˌprä-si-ˈkyü-shən

Legal Definition of prosecution

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