prosecute
verb
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Prosecute vs. Persecute
Take care to distinguish between prosecuted and persecuted, although we sincerely hope that neither word applies to you. Persecute typically has a small range of meanings, such as “to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict.” Although the word is occasionally found in dialectal use to mean “prosecute,” many usage guides consider this to be an error. Prosecute is generally found today in a legal context (“to bring legal action against for redress or punishment of a crime or violation of law”), although the word may also be used to mean “to follow to the end” or “to engage in.” If someone is prosecuted they are being tried in a court of law; if they are persecuted they are being targeted and harassed.
Synonyms
Examples of prosecute in a Sentence
Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025
These jurists had earned the ire of people like Ms. Kelly by repeatedly rejecting arguments that the defendants could not get fair trials in liberal Washington or had been unduly prosecuted for their pro-Trump politics.
—Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
The Justice Department also said Young has called for retribution against jurors, judges and law enforcement officers involved in prosecuting the Jan. 6 defendants, all of whom are in the Washington area.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2025
Department of Homeland Security officials did not answer questions or provide data on how many employers had been prosecuted since then.
—Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 2 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for prosecute 
Dictionary Entries Near prosecute
Cite this Entry
“Prosecute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prosecute. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prosecute
verb
Legal Definition
prosecute
verb
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 17(a)Latin prosecutus, past participle of prosequi to pursue
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