prosecutor
Americannoun
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Law.
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a person, as a complainant or chief witness, instigating prosecution in a criminal proceeding.
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a person who prosecutes.
noun
Etymology
Origin of prosecutor
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Medieval Latin, Late Latin prōsecūtor “pursuer”; see prosecute, -tor
Compare meaning
How does prosecutor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
On a TV crime drama or in real life courts, the prosecutor is the person who brings criminal charges against a suspect. A prosecutor is a lawyer who works for a state or government organization and is responsible for starting legal proceedings and then proving in court that the suspect committed the crime he’s accused of. The opposite of a prosecutor is a defense attorney. So on that TV crime drama, the prosecutor is the one trying to put the bad guy in jail, and the defense attorney is the one trying to prove that the guy really isn’t a bad guy.
Vocabulary lists containing prosecutor
Monster
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When You Reach Me
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Ghost Boys
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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.
While Roy worked as a federal prosecutor, and as Paxton’s first assistant at the attorney general’s office, Middleton has a law degree but has worked exclusively for his family company.
From Salon • May 23, 2026
A former Jack Smith prosecutor and a veteran corruption reporter map the vectors for lawlessness that many have missed.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
Knox later told the prosecutor that the information given to police regarding Kayden and a bottle also came from social media.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
“It’s not all Norman Rockwell anymore where people are coming into this shared civic experience from the same perspective,” said Freedman, a former federal prosecutor.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
The prosecutor asked again if he’d administered injections to her.
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.
