prosecutor

noun

pros·​e·​cu·​tor ˈprä-si-ˌkyü-tər 

1

: a person who institutes a prosecution before a court

2

: prosecuting attorney

Examples of prosecutor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One deal, offered by prosecutors, would have included a 20-year prison term and five years or probation. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026

In Ohio, prosecutors secured indictments against nine people for voting as noncitizens over the span of 10 years. — Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026

Jurors sided with prosecutors, finding Facebook made deceptive statements about protecting users’ data that affected New Mexico’s entire population of more than two million people. — Mikella Schuettler, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026

This was a not-subtle nod to the fact that federal prosecutors had charged three people from three different states for making threats to two officials and a witness with links to the Wells investigation. — Cristian Farias, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prosecutor

• persecutor
• commuter
• computer
• polluter
• recruiter
• microcomputer
• minicomputer
• supercomputer
• neuter
• pewter
• router
• scooter

Kids Definition

prosecutor

noun

pros·​e·​cu·​tor ˈpräs-i-ˌkyüt-ər 

: a person (as a district attorney) who prosecutes especially a criminal case as lawyer for the state

Legal Definition

prosecutor

noun

pros·​e·​cu·​tor ˈprä-si-ˌkyü-tər 

1

: a person who institutes a prosecution (as by making an affidavit or complaint charging the defendant)

2

: a government attorney who presents the state's case against the defendant in a criminal prosecution