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
The charges against both of them were dismissed before courts could rule on their selective prosecution arguments.
—
Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The voting machine company asked a judge to dismiss foreign bribery charges filed against it last year, alleging a vindictive and selective prosecution.
—Jeremy Roebuck, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2026
He is believed to have possibly fled to Mexico and has also been federally charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, according to the FBI.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
The division's new chief, Katie Neff, has not worked as a federal prosecutor in her career, which has included stints at several local district attorneys' offices in California and, more recently, with the Tennessee Attorney General's Office, which does not handle criminal prosecutions.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prosecution
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Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
The voting machine company asked a judge to dismiss foreign bribery charges filed against it last year, alleging a vindictive and selective prosecution.
—Jeremy Roebuck, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2026
He is believed to have possibly fled to Mexico and has also been federally charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, according to the FBI.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
The division's new chief, Katie Neff, has not worked as a federal prosecutor in her career, which has included stints at several local district attorneys' offices in California and, more recently, with the Tennessee Attorney General's Office, which does not handle criminal prosecutions.
—Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prosecution
Cite this Entry
“Prosecution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prosecution. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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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