verb
prosecute
PRO-sihk-yoot
verb
1
To formally charge someone with a crime and pursue legal action against them in court.
"The company was prosecuted for violating safety regulations."
"He was prosecuted for tax fraud after a lengthy investigation."
2
(formal) To carry a task or plan through to its conclusion.
"The army prosecuted the campaign with great determination."
How to Use Prosecute
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo bring someone to trial for a crime, or (less commonly) to carry something through to completion.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "persecute," which means to mistreat or harass someone unfairly — very different meaning despite the similar spelling.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
prosecute a case
fully prosecute
prosecuted for
Word Forms
prosecuted past tense, prosecutes singular
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The company was _____ for violating safety regulations.
Etymology
From Latin prosecutus, the past participle of prosequor ("to follow, pursue"). A doublet of "pursue."