prosecution
Americannoun
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Law.
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the institution and carrying on of legal proceedings against a person.
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the body of officials by whom such proceedings are instituted and carried on.
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the following up of something undertaken or begun, usually to its completion.
noun
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the act of prosecuting or the state of being prosecuted
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the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a person
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the proceedings brought in the name of the Crown to put an accused on trial
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the lawyers acting for the Crown to put the case against a person Compare defence
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the following up or carrying on of something begun, esp with a view to its accomplishment or completion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of prosecution
First recorded in 1555–65; from Late Latin prōsecūtiōn-, stem of prōsecūtiō “follow-up”; equivalent to prosecute + -ion
Explanation
You know the lawyers who try to make the jury believe the guy on trial for stealing the bananas actually stole the bananas? That team of lawyers is known as the prosecution. The entire process of trying to convict someone of a crime is known as the prosecution, and if convicted, you may face prosecution. Any words with the root prosecute are connected to trying to prove someone’s guilt. You might often hear about "the prosecution's case" — that's their evidence. Or you might hear about a "prosecution witness" — someone who is supposed to tell jury members something that will convince them of the defendant's guilt.
Vocabulary lists containing prosecution
The Bill of Rights
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Twelve Angry Men
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The Bill of Rights
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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.
She said that an expert for the prosecution conceded that point and that the data from Grossman’s Mercedes had anomalies and should be disregarded.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
He has also denied that any public funds from the UK Parliament were involved in the embezzlement, and stressed that the prosecution service acts independently of government.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
That typically happens in advance of a criminal prosecution, when a taxpayer sues for a refund, when a U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026
In a rare move, Crenshaw dismissed the criminal indictment after declaring the prosecution against Abrego Garcia a blatantly tainted investigation “with a vindictive motive.”
From Slate • May 28, 2026
There was a lot of circumstantial evidence, but actually those two witnesses were the entire case for the prosecution.
From "Twelve Angry Men" by Reginald Rose
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.
