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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
The prosecution case was that he hadn't been taking his medication during his time with Jean Hanlon.
From BBC • Jul. 4, 2026
Now the recordings from the drone can be used for citations and prosecution, he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026
"Ghana demands from the South African authorities a full, transparent and expedited investigation leading to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators," it said.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
Brennan’s lawyers said they filed the lawsuit in anticipation of fighting a future prosecution as vindictive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
Though the government official pushed for their prosecution, no one was ever charged, and the identities of the citizens were never revealed.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
