prosecute
Americanverb (used with object)
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prosecutes,
present (3rd person singular)
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prosecuted,
past participle, past
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prosecuting
present participle
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Law.
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to institute legal proceedings against (a person).
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to seek to enforce or obtain by legal process.
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to conduct criminal proceedings in court against.
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to follow up or carry forward something undertaken or begun, usually to its completion.
to prosecute a war.
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to carry on or practice.
verb (used without object)
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prosecutes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prosecuted,
past participle, past
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prosecuting
present participle
verb
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(tr) to bring a criminal action against (a person) for some offence
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(intr)
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to seek redress by legal proceedings
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to institute or conduct a prosecution
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(tr) to engage in or practise (a profession or trade)
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(tr) to continue to do (a task, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prosecutabilitynoun
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reprosecuteverb (used with object)
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nonprosecutableadjective
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prosecutableadjective
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quasi-prosecutedadjective
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well-prosecutedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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prosecutesimple
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prosecutessimple
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have prosecutedperfect
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has prosecutedperfect
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am prosecutingprogressive
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are prosecutingprogressive
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is prosecutingprogressive
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have been prosecutingperfect progressive
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has been prosecutingperfect progressive
Past
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prosecutedsimple
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had prosecutedperfect
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was prosecutingprogressive
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were prosecutingprogressive
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had been prosecutingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of prosecute
1400–50; late Middle English prosecuten to follow up, go on with < Latin prōsecūtus, past participle of prōsequī to pursue, proceed with, equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + secū-, variant stem of sequī to follow + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
To prosecute is to participate in or pursue something to completion, like a government’s intention to prosecute a war. Prosecute is most often used for bringing legal action against an accused person or group. Prosecute comes from the Latin, “prosesutus,” meaning “follow after.” The legal sense of the word first appeared in the 1570s. A district attorney will often prosecute, by bringing legal charges and action against a person or group (watch any TV legal drama, and the prosecution will no doubt prosecute eventually). A company may prosecute by suing to protect against damages. Prosecute should not be confused with the word persecute, which means to harass or oppress.
Vocabulary lists containing prosecute
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Latin Love, Vol III: seguire
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
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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.
See Examples For:
The statute allows the court to prosecute nonmember state nationals if they commit war crimes and crimes against humanity on the territory of member states.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
His case was also shared with the local district attorney, who has the authority to prosecute misuse of confidential governmental data, but the district attorney declined to pursue criminal charges, the audit said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Local authorities said they declined to prosecute in 2024 because the complainant's testimony did not establish a lack of consent.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
In New York, legislation has been put forth every year since 2019 to make it easier to prosecute these cases.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
There was usually a certain amount of guesswork involved, and that would make the case a challenge to prosecute.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
For criminal charges to be filed, the case must be referred by police to the district attorney’s office, which prosecutes felonies, or the city attorney, which handles most misdemeanors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
This month, Venezuela and the military juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger also started the process of leaving the ICC, based in The Hague, which prosecutes individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the gravest atrocities, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
It investigates alleged crimes and prosecutes when evidentiary standards are met.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
That being accomplished, he resumes and prosecutes his original purpose as visible Head and King of the human race.
From The Messiah in Moses and the Prophets by Eleazar Lord
"Choosing Shell does not exempt the other companies from being prosecuted in the near future."
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Wieland, the Cancún vacationer, was prosecuted after an anonymous tip and pleaded guilty to fraud earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
“This administration has been clear: anyone who assaults or obstructs law enforcement will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The perpetrators of such violence are rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Nearly 100,000 people—three-quarters of them women—were prosecuted as witches in Europe from 1450 to 1750, many in areas near Maria’s town of Nuremberg.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
In California, county district attorneys are responsible for prosecuting the vast majority of accused murderers when they go to trial and also deciding whether to seek the death penalty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The prosecuting barrister, Nick Johnson KC, said Letby "tried to get out the back of the dock" when the doctor first came to the witness box.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Undocumented residents don’t enjoy the same legal rights as citizens, and deporting someone is a much lower lift, legally speaking, than prosecuting someone for a crime they didn’t commit.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
State law bars prosecuting people who erroneously end up on the rolls, and if the government later encourages them to vote, there’s an entrapment defense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Left the Point to become a prosecuting attorney, to which he is well suited.
From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara
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