Dictionary

prosecute en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prōsecūtus, perfect participle of prōsequor. Doublet of pursue, from Old French. Compare also persecute.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To start criminal proceedings against.
   • To acquit themſelves and proſecute their foes 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 56, line 898:
   • to prosecute a man for trespass, or for a riot
2. (transitive) To charge, try.
   • The Vigilante is prosecuted in Federal Court under a lynch bill and winds up in a Federal Nut House specially designed for the containment of ghosts […] 1962 [1959], William S. Burroughs, Naked Lunch, New York: Grove Press, page 8:
3. To seek to obtain by legal process.
   • to prosecute a right or a claim in a court of law
4. (transitive) To pursue something to the end.
   • to prosecute a scheme, hope, or an investigation
   • Nor do we believe that a country that prosecuted two wars in China in the 19th century to force the Chinese to accept opium imports has any moral right to lecture Asians on drugs. 2022 October 22, “Ministry of Home Affairs' Response to Sir Richard Branson's Blog Post on 10 October 2022”, in Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), archived from the original on 24 Sep 2024:
   • I am beloved of beauteous Hermia; / Why should not I, then, prosecute my right? c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

Forms

Deriveds

reprosecute · unprosecuted · prosecutive · prosecutee · overprosecute · misprosecute · prosecution · prosecutability · nonprosecuted · prosecutable

Translations (46)

ja 起訴する (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · sv beivra (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · de betreiben (To pursue something to the end) · cy erlyn (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · mi makawe (To pursue something to the end) · es procesar (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · es proseguir (To pursue something to the end) · es enjuiciar (To charge, try) · fr poursuivre en justice (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · es llevar adelante (To pursue something to the end) · es llevar a término (To pursue something to the end) · bg гоня (To pursue something to the end) · nrf poursuivre (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · sv åtala (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · de bestrafen (To charge, try) · de verfolgen (To pursue something to the end) · es procesar (To charge, try) · fi syyttää (To charge, try) · es encausar (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · de belangen (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · sv åklaga (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · bg преследвам (To pursue something to the end) · sv tilltala (To charge, try) · sv åtala (To charge, try) · fi tehdä loppuun (To pursue something to the end) · gd tagair (To charge, try) · ru пресле́довать (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · de strafrechtlich verfolgen (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · mi hāmene (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · ca perseguir (To pursue something to the end) · tr kovuşturma açmak (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · fi jatkaa loppuun (To pursue something to the end) · es llevar a cabo (To pursue something to the end) · de anklagen (To charge, try) · bg обвинявам (To charge, try) · fa محاکمه کردن (To charge, try) · fi suorittaa loppuun (To pursue something to the end) · fi nostaa syyte (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · cmn 起訴 /起诉 (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · sv åklaga (To charge, try) · fa دنبال کردن (To pursue something to the end) · de gerichtlich belangen (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · sv tilltala (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · es enjuiciar (To start civil or criminal proceedings against) · de vor Gericht stellen (To charge, try) · es encausar (To charge, try)