Prosecution

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˌpɹɒs.ɪˈkjuː.ʃən/

Definitions

1. The act of pursuing legal action against someone accused of a crime involves presenting evidence to establish guilt or liability, often conducted by government authorities on behalf of the state
2. The process of initiating and carrying out legal proceedings to prove that someone has committed a crime ; the lawyers or officials who represent the government in a criminal trial and argue for conviction
3. Bringing a case against an individual in a court of law to establish criminal responsibility ; the team responsible for presenting the evidence and accusations in a criminal court

Etymology: The core idea here is older than the courtroom. Latin "prosequor" meant "follow onward" or "pursue," built from "pro-" ("forward") and "sequor" ("follow"), the same root that gives English "sequel" and "sequence." A prosecution, in its earliest sense, was simply the act of pressing ahead with something, and the legal meaning grew out of that idea of relentlessly following a matter through to its end. The word reached English through Middle French "prosecution," which itself came from the Late Latin "prosecutio." Its sister word is "persecution," which shares the same Latin base. The two words grew apart in meaning, with "persecution" drifting toward the harassment of people, while "prosecution" settled into the formal business of bringing a case against someone in court.

Synonyms: legal action, lawsuit, trial

Antonyms: defense, absolution, dismissal