persecuted

American  

[pur-si-kyoo-tid] / ˈpɜr sɪˌkyu 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

"Right now everything here is suppressed, everything is persecuted, people are sitting in prisons."

From Barron's

Her new collection pays tribute to women persecuted during historical witch hunts.

From Barron's

She suggests arguing that Epstein was being persecuted due to his "wealth".

From BBC

“This is also a film about infamy, because he’s being persecuted so unfairly. He gets killed, and then they killed him again because they killed his reputation,” Moura notes.

From Los Angeles Times

Many people come to the border seeking asylum, a formal process under which eligible migrants ask the government for legal protections after fleeing places where they believe they would be persecuted or tortured upon returning.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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