prosecute
Americanverb (used with object)
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Law.
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to institute legal proceedings against (a person).
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to seek to enforce or obtain by legal process.
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to conduct criminal proceedings in court against.
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to follow up or carry forward something undertaken or begun, usually to its completion.
to prosecute a war.
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to carry on or practice.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to bring a criminal action against (a person) for some offence
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(intr)
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to seek redress by legal proceedings
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to institute or conduct a prosecution
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(tr) to engage in or practise (a profession or trade)
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(tr) to continue to do (a task, etc)
Other Word Forms
- nonprosecutable adjective
- prosecutability noun
- prosecutable adjective
- quasi-prosecuted adjective
- reprosecute verb (used with object)
- well-prosecuted adjective
Etymology
Origin of prosecute
1400–50; late Middle English prosecuten to follow up, go on with < Latin prōsecūtus, past participle of prōsequī to pursue, proceed with, equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + secū-, variant stem of sequī to follow + -tus past participle suffix
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.
Yet that does not cover the hours of preparation that go into it, she says, including talks with nervous defendants in the cells, if defending, and reassuring victims when prosecuting.
From BBC
And like what will now happen with Mr. Maduro, Noriega was forcibly brought to the U.S. and prosecuted in federal court.
Tolerating common commercial—not to mention political—conduct and speech while prosecuting basic fraud would be a good start.
From Barron's
The newspaper added that the driver "could be prosecuted for reckless driving", but gave no further details.
From Barron's
However, the court ruled on Wednesday that there were no grounds to further prosecute the former construction minister who was suspected of a "serious crime against public safety".
From Barron's
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.
