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

A lawyer for Levy, Avichai Hajbi, told the AP the prosecution had made a "mistaken decision".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

“Referring a Cabinet Secretary for potential prosecution is not a step we take lightly,” the lawmakers wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Legal experts said any claim by Hearn could be complicated by the grand jury indictment against him, which the Justice Department could point to as insulating its decision to bring a prosecution.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

It has a liberal side—secure property rights, courts that constrain the state—that shields entrepreneurs from arbitrary state power, ranging from selective prosecution to outright expropriation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

After all, if the prosecution could introduce nothing from Reggie’s own mouth, then the defense would not have to devise a strategy for refuting it.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Those prosecutions depended on the successful exercise of significant military force and the coercion of involved governments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Lawyers for Wright previously argued the EA only had the power to bring private prosecutions for environmental offences, not fraud or conspiracy.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Corporate investigations and prosecutions that were happening a few years ago “have pretty much been dialed way back,” said Evan T. Barr, a former federal prosecutor now with the law firm Reed Smith.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

Prevention happens not only through laws and prosecutions, but also through the values communities choose to uphold.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

The other affidavit was from a defense attorney who had extensive experience in state prosecutions.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• government
• prosecutor