prosecution

American  

[pros-i-kyoo-shuhn] / ˌprɒs ɪˈkju ʃən /

noun

• prosecutions
  plural

1. Law.

   1. the institution and carrying on of legal proceedings against a person.

   2. the body of officials by whom such proceedings are instituted and carried on.

2. the following up of something undertaken or begun, usually to its completion.

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prosecution British  

/ ˌprɒsɪˈkjuːʃən /

noun

1. the act of prosecuting or the state of being prosecuted

2. 1. the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a person

   2. the proceedings brought in the name of the Crown to put an accused on trial

3. the lawyers acting for the Crown to put the case against a person Compare defence

4. the following up or carrying on of something begun, esp with a view to its accomplishment or completion

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonprosecution
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• prosecutions
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prosecution prosecutions

It requested the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals review a Tennessee judge’s decision to dismiss Abrego Garcia’s case, a prosecution that seemed completely lost.

From Slate ● Aug. 23, 2026

The Maryland man deported last year by mistake already had his federal indictment on human smuggling charges dismissed over vindictive prosecution, but now, the Justice Department is demanding the indictment be brought back.

From Slate ● Aug. 23, 2026

It revealed that the lead detective who investigated the murders - a key trial witness - and two prosecution solicitors had been staying at the same hotel as the sequestered jury.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Jeffries was committed to a federal medical center for a competency-restoration period and underwent subsequent evaluations by prosecution and defense experts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

The burden of proof is on the prosecution.

From "Twelve Angry Men" by Reginald Rose

The federal public defender’s office in L.A. had asked the judge to disqualify Essayli from participating in and supervising criminal prosecutions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Without evidence of a coordinated effort or plot, it didn’t make sense to put resources into such prosecutions, a former DOJ official who oversaw election cases said.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

Despite what seemed like a straightforward case with ample evidence, both prosecutions faced setbacks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

"This is one of the largest marriage fraud prosecutions in United States history," Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference in Washington.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

But we had also learned that many D.A.’s saw attacks on correction officers as low-priority prosecutions, since the criminals were already in jail.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Related Words

• government
• prosecutor