persecution

C1 Topic:Health & Medicine

US /ˌpɝsəˈkjuʃən/ UK /ˌpɜːsəˈkjuːʃən/ See IPA manual

Freq #15191

Meanings

1

noun
Cruel or unfair treatment of a person or group over time, especially because of race, religion, or beliefs.

They sought asylum to escape religious persecution at home.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms persecutions

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

relentless persecution
cruel or unfair treatment that continues without easing

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Equivalent to persecute + -ion. From Middle English persecucioun, from Old French persecucion, from Ecclesiastical Latin persecūtio (“persecution; chase, pursuit”), from Latin persequor (“follow up, pursue”), from per- (“through”) + sequor (“follow”). Displaced native Old English ēhtnes.

*sekʷ- Proto-Indo-European persecucioun Middle English persecucion Old French persecūtio la-ecc persequor Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Health & Medicine Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# persecution

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌpɝsəˈkjuʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌpɜːsəˈkjuːʃən/
**Frequency rank:** 15191

## Meanings
1. Cruel or unfair treatment of a person or group over time, especially because of race, religion, or beliefs.

## Examples
- They sought asylum to escape religious persecution at home.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *sekʷ-
- Root: persecucioun
- Root: persecucion
- Root: persecūtio
- Root: persequor

## Etymology
Equivalent to persecute + -ion. From Middle English persecucioun, from Old French persecucion, from Ecclesiastical Latin persecūtio (“persecution; chase, pursuit”), from Latin persequor (“follow up, pursue”), from per- (“through”) + sequor (“follow”). Displaced native Old English ēhtnes.

## AI Etymology
Persecution is equivalent to persecute + -ion. From Middle English persecucioun, from Old French persecucion, from Ecclesiastical Latin persecūtio (“persecution; chase, pursuit”), from Latin persequor (“follow up, pursue”), from per- (“through”) + sequor (“follow”). Displaced native Old English ēhtnes. In present-day use, it means cruel or unfair treatment of a person or group over time, especially because of race, religion, or beliefs.

## Topics
- Health & Medicine
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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