prosecution
Pluralprosecutions
- 1The bringing of legal proceedings, especially criminal charges, against a person.
He faced prosecution for fraud once the auditors filed their report.
Prosecution of the case began only after a lengthy police investigation.
Similarindictment, trial, litigation
Note
The courtroom form of following through, aimed at a person rather than at the carrying out of a plan. Its usual pattern is prosecution of someone for something, as in Walter Besant's The Ivory Gate (1892): "the prosecution of a brother for forgery." As an uncountable noun it is something a person faces or escapes. As a countable noun it means individual cases, as in "future prosecutions."
- 2The party bringing and arguing a case against the accused, especially in a criminal trial.
The prosecution rested its case after presenting the forensic evidence.
Lawyers for the prosecution sought a lengthy sentence.
Oppositedefense
Note
The courtroom's name for the side that brings the charge. The prosecution rests, calls witnesses and presents its case, and lawyers appear for it as for a single party. It also works as a modifier: "the prosecution case" means the version of events this side asks the court to accept.
- 3A state legal body empowered to bring criminal cases, often known as the prosecutor's office.
After graduating, she joined the prosecution and spent a decade trying cases.
The prosecution operates independently from the police in many legal systems.
Note
A permanent body rather than one side in one trial. In this sense someone can join the prosecution and work there for a decade. Many countries call it the Prosecutor's Office. A phrase like "the prosecution requested the death penalty" could refer to this institution or to the party in a trial. Only context tells them apart, because the institution outlasts any single case.
- 4The carrying out or pursuit of a plan, project, or undertaking.
The prosecution of the campaign required careful coordination among allies.
Investors praised the company's vigorous prosecution of its expansion strategy.
Similarpursuit, conduct, execution, implementation, furtherance
Oppositeabandonment
Note
Latin prosequor, "follow onward", explains this sense: to prosecute a plan is to follow it through to the end. It takes an of-phrase naming the undertaking, as in the prosecution of a war or of an inquiry, and it has a formal ring. Keep it apart from persecution, its near twin in spelling and descent. Prosecution pursues a task or a case; persecution pursues people.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of prosecution apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
Formed from 'prosecute' plus '-ion', it came through Middle French 'prosecution' from Late Latin 'prōsecutio', from Latin 'prōsequor' meaning 'to follow, pursue': from 'pro-' (onward) plus 'sequor' (follow), which also gives English 'sequel'.