prosecute
C1Formal (Legal/Professional)
Definition
Meaning
To officially accuse someone of a crime and seek punishment for them in a court of law.
To carry out or continue a plan, activity, or inquiry with sustained effort and purpose.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily legal, but can be used more broadly for pursuing goals. The object can be a person, a case, or an action.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Legal usage is identical. 'Prosecute for' [crime] is universal. Broader use ('prosecute a war/inquiry') is slightly more common in formal UK English.
Connotations
Strongly associated with state authority in both. 'Private prosecution' is a rare but possible term in both jurisdictions.
Frequency
Higher frequency in the US due to more frequent public reporting of legal cases.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[S] prosecute [O] for [crime][S] prosecute [O][S] prosecuteVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Prosecute to the full extent of the law.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in legal/compliance contexts (e.g., 'The company was prosecuted for fraud').
Academic
Used in legal studies and political science (e.g., 'analysing the decision to prosecute').
Everyday
Almost exclusively in the context of news about crime or legal dramas.
Technical
Core term in law; precise meaning related to initiating and conducting criminal proceedings.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute due to lack of evidence.
- They will prosecute anyone fly-tipping on this land.
American English
- The District Attorney's office is prosecuting the case aggressively.
- You can be prosecuted for perjury if you lie under oath.
adjective
British English
- The prosecutable evidence was overwhelming.
American English
- The prosecutor laid out the prosecutable offenses.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The police arrested him, and he might be prosecuted.
- The company was prosecuted for violating environmental regulations.
- The government's failure to prosecute high-level corruption has drawn international criticism.
- He vowed to prosecute the investigation with renewed vigour.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think PROfessional SECUrities chasing a criminal to conviCT him. PRO-SECU-TE.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE LAW IS A PURSUER / A GAME (e.g., 'The state is prosecuting its case').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do NOT use as a direct translation for 'преследовать' in the sense of 'to harass' or 'to follow'. That is 'persecute' (сходно звучит, но другое значение!).
- The Russian 'прокуратура' (prosecutor's office) shares the same root.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'prosecute' (state vs. individual) with 'sue' (individual vs. individual).
- Using 'prosecute' for minor offences like parking tickets (usually 'fine' or 'penalise').
- Incorrect: 'He prosecuted me for my opinion.' (Correct: 'persecuted').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the LEAST likely meaning of 'prosecute'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Prosecute' is a legal action in court. 'Persecute' means to oppress or harass someone, especially for their beliefs or identity.
Usually a state authority like a public prosecutor's office (e.g., the Crown Prosecution Service in the UK, a District Attorney in the US), not a private individual, though private prosecutions are possible in some systems.
Typically no. For civil lawsuits, we use 'sue' or 'bring a case against'. 'Prosecute' is reserved for criminal law.
Yes. 'Prosecution' refers to the act of prosecuting or the party bringing the criminal case (e.g., 'The prosecution called its first witness').