persecution

[ pur-si-kyoo-shuhn ]
See synonyms for persecution on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of persecuting.

  2. the state of being persecuted.

  1. a program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate people based on their membership in a religious, ethnic, social, or racial group: the persecutions of Christians by the Romans.

Origin of persecution

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English persecucio(u)n, from Late Latin persecūtiōn-, stem of persecūtiō (in Latin: “prosecution”), from Latin persecūt(us) “followed thoroughly, prosecuted” (past participle of persequī “to follow thoroughly, prosecute”; see persecute) + -iō -ion

Other words from persecution

  • per·se·cu·tion·al, adjective
  • non·per·se·cu·tion, noun

Words Nearby persecution

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use persecution in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for persecution

persecution

/ (ˌpɜːsɪˈkjuːʃən) /


noun
  1. the act of persecuting or the state of being persecuted

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