prosecute
Americanverb (used with object)
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prosecutes,
present (3rd person singular)
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prosecuted,
past participle, past
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prosecuting
present participle
-
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)
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prosecutes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prosecuted,
past participle, past
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prosecuting
present participle
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
Derived Forms
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prosecutabilitynoun
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reprosecuteverb (used with object)
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nonprosecutableadjective
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prosecutableadjective
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quasi-prosecutedadjective
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well-prosecutedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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prosecutesimple
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prosecutessimple
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have prosecutedperfect
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has prosecutedperfect
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am prosecutingprogressive
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are prosecutingprogressive
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is prosecutingprogressive
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have been prosecutingperfect progressive
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has been prosecutingperfect progressive
Past
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prosecutedsimple
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had prosecutedperfect
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was prosecutingprogressive
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were prosecutingprogressive
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had been prosecutingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
To prosecute is to participate in or pursue something to completion, like a government’s intention to prosecute a war. Prosecute is most often used for bringing legal action against an accused person or group. Prosecute comes from the Latin, “prosesutus,” meaning “follow after.” The legal sense of the word first appeared in the 1570s. A district attorney will often prosecute, by bringing legal charges and action against a person or group (watch any TV legal drama, and the prosecution will no doubt prosecute eventually). A company may prosecute by suing to protect against damages. Prosecute should not be confused with the word persecute, which means to harass or oppress.
Vocabulary lists containing prosecute
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Latin Love, Vol III: seguire
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
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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.
See Examples For:
Both the university and the local district attorney, who initially declined to prosecute the men, have come under fire for how they handled the case.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
“This arrest highlights our relentless efforts in partnership with the FBI to identify and prosecute those who seek to steal our technology,” said U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The ICC was founded in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide and counts 125 countries as member states.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
The county is empowered by statute to investigate and prosecute violations of the Unfair Competition Law on behalf of California residents and to seek restitution, civil penalties and injunctive relief for any violations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Many states had changed their laws to make it easier to prosecute children as adults, and my clients were getting younger and younger.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
For criminal charges to be filed, the case must be referred by police to the district attorney’s office, which prosecutes felonies, or the city attorney, which handles most misdemeanors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the gravest atrocities and acts as a last resort when countries do not have adequate legal systems to ensure accountability.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
The 81-year-old will be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for the world's worst crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
It investigates alleged crimes and prosecutes when evidentiary standards are met.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
Luke, my boy, you will be just; while, if another man prosecutes him, he will see in him only the forger and the cheat, and fight his best to get him condemned.”
From Eli's Children The Chronicles of an Unhappy Family by George Manville Fenn
Johnson had prosecuted graft and civic corruption in San Francisco, and his progressive reforms gave California voters some of the very tools your ballot offers you today: the initiative, recall, referendum, and women’s suffrage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
In a rebuttal, Mulroy noted that more than 40,000 defendants are prosecuted by his office each year.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
The ICC was among three finalists this year, alongside Tanzania opposition leader Tundu Lissu and twin sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, representing those prosecuted by the Iranian government.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
An NHS trust is being prosecuted over the deaths of two children who had sepsis, the BBC has learned.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
But if the which-hunt is prosecuted too zealously, it may leave behind a garden path.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Phil Barnes KC, prosecuting, told the jury that many of them would know what it feels like to drive "with a flat tyre, or with wheels that are slightly out of balance or misaligned".
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
The prosecuting barrister outlined that Mariano had funded a trip to Turkey for gastric implant surgery for a "not insignificant amount".
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
It requires prosecuting the perpetrators of violence and educating the student body of their rights and the systems in place to protect them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
She later took a post as deputy trial counsel with the State Bar of California in Los Angeles, prosecuting attorneys for professional misconduct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Afterward, Karl, Debbie, and Sasha rode the courthouse elevator to the ninth floor to meet with Armando Pastran, the deputy district attorney who was prosecuting the case.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
