prosecuteverb
uk/ˈprɒs.ɪ.kjuːt/us/ˈprɑː.sə.kjuːt/prosecute verb (LEGAL)
C2 [ I or T ] to officially accuse someone of committing a crime in a law court, or (of a lawyer) to try to prove that a person accused of committing a crime is guilty of that crime:
Shoplifters will be prosecuted.
He was prosecuted for fraud.
Any manufacturer who does not conform to the standards could be prosecuted under the Consumers Protection Act, 1987.
The victim has said that she will not prosecute.
Compare
defend
More examples
- Can't you read the sign? It says 'Trespassers will be prosecuted!'
- People who hand in illegal weapons will not be prosecuted during the amnesty.
- He was prosecuted for having sex with a girl who was underage.
- You'll be relieved to hear that our clients have decided not to prosecute.
- The company is to be prosecuted under the Sex Discrimination Act.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Taking legal action
- appear
- appear for sb
- bring
- civil action
- class action
- complainant
- court
- double jeopardy
- indict
- indictment
- law
- legal
- make legal history idiom
- petitioner
- plaintiff
- prefer
- proceed
- proceed against sb
- serve
- summons
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prosecute verb (CONTINUE)
[ T ] formal to continue to take part in a planned group of activities, especially a war:
He seemed convinced that the US would prosecute the war to its end.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Continue & last
- (it's) business as usual idiom
- bash on
- carry (sth) on
- cease
- cont
- contd
- drag
- keep at sth
- keep on doing sth
- keep on trucking idiom
- keep sb at it idiom
- nine
- push
- run over (sth)
- see sth out
- segue
- soldier on
- spill
- stick
- string
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