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.
McKinney talked more like he was running for city prosecutor, leaning heavily on his experience winning high-profile felony trials in the downtown courthouse.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
A legal statement which UK Athletics produced years after the incident was described by the prosecutor as '"a deeply unworthy document by a national sporting body and one of which it should be ashamed".
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
In response to the report, the London-headquartered group said Monday that it was “currently working with the Brussels prosecutor to respond to queries about our business.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
Batson established a three-part framework for racial juror challenges: Defense counsel challenges a strike, the prosecutor gives race-neutral reasons for it, then defense counsel has the opportunity to rebut those proffered reasons as pretextual.
From Slate • May 28, 2026
It is the prosecutor, far more than any other criminal justice official, who holds the keys to the jailhouse door.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
