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”; 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.
Swalwell, a former prosecutor, is married and has three children.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
He has made no bones about believing that any prosecutor who worked on those cases had behaved unethically and should have resigned.
From Salon • Apr. 9, 2026
Sophie met the prosecutor before the trial and said "thankfully he was very nice".
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
Malicious prosecution cases are similarly hard to bring because they require proof that a prosecutor had malicious intentions, not just a bad case.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
The prosecutor is also free to file more charges against a defendant than can realistically be proven in court, so long as probable cause arguably exists.
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.
