persecuted

[pur-si-kyoo-tid]

adjective

1. persistently harassed or oppressed, especially because of religious or political beliefs, ethnic or racial origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

   Having been raised in a frequently persecuted faith, the idea of any state religion makes me very nervous.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of persecute.

Other Word Forms

• unpersecuted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of persecuted¹

persecute ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

"Let us protect religious liberty," he told the UN, "including for the most persecuted religion on the planet today – it's called Christianity."

From BBC

My grandparents knew first hand what it was to be persecuted for who you were and what you thought or said.

From BBC

US Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Matthew J. Tragesser says US asylum law protects a "very limited number of persecuted aliens".

From BBC

Sai and his wife decided to leave Thailand as they were worried of being deported back to Myanmar, also known as Burma, where Sai believes he will be persecuted for his activism against the junta.

From BBC

But he’s far from the only Republican arguing that Christians are being persecuted if they are exposed to evidence that others disagree with their views.

From Salon

Related Words

• abused www.thesaurus.com
• destitute 
• distressed 
• enslaved 
• exploited 
• helpless