prosecute

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/ See IPA manual

Freq #10739

Meanings

1

verb
To officially accuse someone of a crime and try them in court.

The state prosecuted him for theft.
2

verb
To conduct a legal case against someone in court.

A government lawyer was appointed to prosecute the case.
3

verb
To continue with an activity or plan in order to complete it.

They prosecuted the investigation for several months.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms prosecutedprosecutesprosecuting

Derived forms misprosecutenonprosecutedoverprosecuteprosecutabilityprosecutableprosecuteeprosecutionprosecutivereprosecuteunprosecuted

Etymology

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

*per- Proto-Indo-European prōsecūtus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# prosecute

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/
**Frequency rank:** 10739

## Meanings
1. To officially accuse someone of a crime and try them in court.
2. To conduct a legal case against someone in court.
3. To continue with an activity or plan in order to complete it.

## Examples
- The state prosecuted him for theft.
- A government lawyer was appointed to prosecute the case.
- They prosecuted the investigation for several months.

## Derived Forms
- misprosecute
- nonprosecuted
- overprosecute
- prosecutability
- prosecutable
- prosecutee
- prosecution
- prosecutive
- reprosecute
- unprosecuted

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *per-
- Root: prōsecūtus

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

## AI Etymology
Prosecute was borrowed from Latin prōsecūtus, perfect participle of prōsequor. Doublet of pursue, from Old French. Compare also persecute. The historical chain includes *per- (Proto-Indo-European), prōsecūtus (Latin). In present-day English it covers to officially accuse someone of a crime and try them in court, to conduct a legal case against someone in court, and to continue with an activity or plan in order to complete it. The wider family includes derived forms such as misprosecute, nonprosecuted, overprosecute, prosecutability, prosecutable.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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