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.
Her response to questions about the DOJ’s failure to prosecute Epstein’s accomplices with the statement “the Dow is over $50,000 right now” became an immediate punch line.
From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026
The DOJ routinely declines to prosecute cases for any number of reasons, including insufficient evidence or because a case is not a priority for enforcement.
From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026
Cambodian authorities have vowed to stamp out the business by the end of next month, vowing to prosecute low-level scammers, bosses and landlords of scam sites alike.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
The court will instead carry out the search to gather the information the government needs to prosecute its criminal case, Judge William Porter wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
But publicly, they reviled it and were obligated to prosecute all slavers.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
