prosecutor

American

[pros-i-kyoo-ter] / ˈprɒs ɪˌkyu tər /

noun

Law.
1. prosecuting attorney.
2. a person, as a complainant or chief witness, instigating prosecution in a criminal proceeding.
a person who prosecutes.

Etymology

Origin of prosecutor

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Medieval Latin, Late Latin prōsecūtor “pursuer”; prosecute, -tor

Compare meaning

How does prosecutor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

district attorney vs. prosecutor

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.

A group of officials from the prosecutor’s office drafted a letter opposing Khan’s continuing to serve as chief prosecutor that was read at Wednesday’s meeting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Gerbasi, the counternarcotics prosecutor, declined to comment on specific cases that might have been declined in his office.

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026

Neymar, 34, was fined in July 2023 by the chief prosecutor of Mangaratiba, a coastal town west of Rio where Brazil's all-time top scorer has a residence.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Swalwell, a former prosecutor who ran for president in 2020, announced his bid for California governor in November.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Several people had suggested that Tom Chapman, the new Monroe County district attorney and a former criminal defense attorney, would be fairer and more sympathetic to someone wrongly convicted than lifelong prosecutor Ted Pearson.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023