prosecution
Americannoun
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prosecutions
plural
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Law.
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the institution and carrying on of legal proceedings against a person.
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the body of officials by whom such proceedings are instituted and carried on.
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the following up of something undertaken or begun, usually to its completion.
noun
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the act of prosecuting or the state of being prosecuted
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the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a person
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the proceedings brought in the name of the Crown to put an accused on trial
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the lawyers acting for the Crown to put the case against a person Compare defence
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the following up or carrying on of something begun, esp with a view to its accomplishment or completion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of prosecution
First recorded in 1555–65; from Late Latin prōsecūtiōn-, stem of prōsecūtiō “follow-up”; equivalent to prosecute + -ion
Explanation
You know the lawyers who try to make the jury believe the guy on trial for stealing the bananas actually stole the bananas? That team of lawyers is known as the prosecution. The entire process of trying to convict someone of a crime is known as the prosecution, and if convicted, you may face prosecution. Any words with the root prosecute are connected to trying to prove someone’s guilt. You might often hear about "the prosecution's case" — that's their evidence. Or you might hear about a "prosecution witness" — someone who is supposed to tell jury members something that will convince them of the defendant's guilt.
Vocabulary lists containing prosecution
The Bill of Rights
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Twelve Angry Men
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The Bill of Rights
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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.
See Examples For:
The donors are offering $122,000 for information leading to the successful prosecution of anyone responsible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
"This is alongside speeding up cladding removal to bring the building safety crisis to an end and forcing those responsible to fix unsafe buildings or face criminal prosecution."
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
However, her psychiatrist testified for the prosecution that Clancy did not show signs of psychosis during their sessions, while another psychiatrist noted that the condition was not currently recognised by the American Psychiatric Association.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
The prosecution rested, and the jury deliberated for five hours.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The US district attorney made the opening statement for the prosecution.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
The company also agreed to continue cooperating with the government in criminal prosecutions related to the matter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The prosecutions led to the imprisonment of Leon Baptiste, a UK Athletics coach and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist for England in the 200m.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
“It’s one thing if you’re going after Pablo Escobar,” said Steve Bunnell, a former DHS general counsel and senior intelligence adviser who handled voting fraud prosecutions during more than a decade at the Justice Department.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Despite what seemed like a straightforward case with ample evidence, both prosecutions faced setbacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The other affidavit was from a defense attorney who had extensive experience in state prosecutions.
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.
