prosecutor
Americannoun
-
prosecutors
plural
-
Law.
-
a person, as a complainant or chief witness, instigating prosecution in a criminal proceeding.
-
a person who prosecutes.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
When You Reach Me
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ghost Boys
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Both indictments were later dismissed because of a defect involving the appointment of the prosecutor, although the Justice Department subsequently pursued a new indictment against Comey.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
The former federal prosecutor who spent five years as USC’s general counsel inherited a deficit of more than $200 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The prosecutor asked the witness: "Where did urgency come from?"
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Late Tuesday, the prosecutor for Tours said the officer involved had been charged with aggravated battery.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
Leahy, the prosecutor who had been hired by the Osage Tribal Council, considered all this to be the most “high-handed and unusual course of conduct I had ever witnessed on the part of attorneys.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Federal prosecutors said Alfozan had no authority to access the conference room, which could only be booked by executives and their assistants.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Four men — including a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power employee — were responsible for more than $170,000 in damage to downtown buildings during a yearlong graffiti spree, prosecutors alleged Thursday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Now, prosecutors visited his relatives in Omsk and called on residents of housing blocks where his family had lived.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
On Friday, the organization and federal prosecutors jointly filed a lawsuit against Shell's subsidiary in South America's largest country.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Perhaps Lawson was lying in the hopes that prosecutors would reduce his jail time, in exchange for his testimony.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
