Showing results for "persecuted"

• past tense form of persecute.
• past participle of persecute.

persecuted

American  

[pur-si-kyoo-tid] / ˈpɜr sɪˌkju tɪd /

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.

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• unpersecuted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of persecuted

persecute ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

persecuted

Department of State gave money to groups protecting free speech, human rights and persecuted minorities in poor and authoritarian countries.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

Not all Shias saw Khamenei as their principal religious guide, but he became widely respected as a clerical authority and for standing up for a sect that has historically felt persecuted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

The fund was "open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise", the DOJ said.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

“This fund was open to anybody who was so weaponized, targeted, or persecuted, whether they were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Independent, or otherwise,” the statement read.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026

This would be our first encounter with people who had been persecuted in Bosnia.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Related Words

• abused
• destitute
• distressed
• enslaved
• exploited
• helpless