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
Synonyms of prosecution
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
And that’s selective prosecution.
—
Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Clarke, executive director of the security research nonprofit The Soufan Center, says authorities may be holding back details to protect a potential prosecution.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil over the country's prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a hard-line conservative who was convicted of trying to overthrow democracy.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
Nine women told their stories and urged members of Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which would require the Justice Department to publish all documents and materials related to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prosecution
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Clarke, executive director of the security research nonprofit The Soufan Center, says authorities may be holding back details to protect a potential prosecution.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil over the country's prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a hard-line conservative who was convicted of trying to overthrow democracy.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2025
Nine women told their stories and urged members of Congress to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which would require the Justice Department to publish all documents and materials related to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein.
—Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 2 Nov. 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 6 Nov. 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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