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

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Etymology

Origin of prosecution

First recorded in 1555–65; from Late Latin prōsecūtiōn-, stem of prōsecūtiō “follow-up”; equivalent to prosecute + -ion

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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

Under the U.K. government’s proposal, the SFO would award whistleblowers who provide information that is “both significant and original” and that leads to a successful enforcement action against a company, including a deferred prosecution agreement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

The head of Scotland's prosecution service, the-then Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC, told the Scottish Parliament she had received confirmation that Al-Marimi was transferred to US custody "on a lawful basis".

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Another source I spoke to was "eaten alive by anxiety" over the investigation and baffled that Germany, a close ally of Ukraine, was even pursuing prosecution.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

It was not clear whether they would face prosecution if they returned the funds.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

The point of Rohleder’s testimony was to establish the fact of his having made these pictures, which the prosecution proposed to put into evidence.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

He added that the Guild of Photographers was looking at how they can bring prosecutions to people using such services and not paying.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Ho is the only defendant to plead guilty to the prosecutions.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

It makes gathering sufficient information for long-term prosecutions an uphill battle for law enforcement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

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

By revealing the raw ugliness at the heart of prejudice, high-profile hate-crime prosecutions have helped build empathy for people on the margins.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

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Related Words

• government
• prosecutor

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