persecution
Americannoun
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the act of persecuting.
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the state of being persecuted.
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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.
noun
Usage
What does persecution mean? Persecution is the act of harassing or oppressing a person or a group of people, especially because of their identity.Throughout history, people have faced persecution because of their religion, race, ethnicity, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and many other factors.Example: People have been using the forum to call attention to the ongoing persecution of Muslims.
Other Word Forms
- nonpersecution noun
- persecutional adjective
Etymology
Origin of persecution
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”; persecute ) + -iō -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This is significant because asylum cases are deeply complex, requiring a mountain of factual evidence to prove an immigrant faces legitimate threats of persecution in their home country.
From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026
As a foreigner, Felix was afforded some security from persecution at the hands of French Catholics, provided he kept a low profile and focused on his studies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
But that sense of persecution and injustice is a sentiment shared by all sides of the conflict.
From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026
Some are then shipped back to their countries of origin — including, in some cases, people who have demonstrated that they face possible persecution there.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026
“I know I’m right. You’ve got a bad persecution complex. You think people are trying to harm you. “People are trying to harm me.”
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
