Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Prosecution
Prosˊe-cu′tion
,Noun.
[L.
prosecutio
a following.] 1.
The act or process of prosecuting, or of endeavoring to gain or accomplish something; pursuit by efforts of body or mind;
as, the
prosecution
of a scheme, plan, design, or undertaking; the prosecution
of war.Keeping a sharp eye on her domestics . . . in
prosecution
of their various duties. Sir W. Scott.
2.
(Law)
(a)
The institution and carrying on of a suit in a court of law or equity, to obtain some right, or to redress and punish some wrong; the carrying on of a judicial proceeding in behalf of a complaining party, as distinguished from defense.
(b)
The institution, or commencement, and continuance of a criminal suit; the process of exhibiting formal charges against an offender before a legal tribunal, and pursuing them to final judgment on behalf of the state or government, as by indictment or information.
(c)
The party by whom criminal proceedings are instituted.
Blackstone. Burrill. Mozley & W.
Webster 1828 Edition
Prosecution
PROSECU'TION
,Noun.
1.
The institution and carrying on of a suit in a court of law or equity. to obtain some right, or to redress and punish some wrong. The prosecution of a claim in chancery is very expensive. Malicious prosecutions subject the offender to punishment.2.
The institution or commencement and continuance of a criminal suit; the process of exhibiting formal charges against an offender before a legal tribunal, and pursuing them to final judgment; as prosecutions of the crown or of the state by the attorney or solicitor general. Prosecutions may be by presentment, information or indictment.Definition 2024
prosecution
prosecution
English
Noun
prosecution (countable and uncountable, plural prosecutions)
- The act of prosecuting a scheme or endeavor.
- The prosecution of the war fell to Winston Churchill.
- (law) The institution of legal proceedings (particularly criminal) against a person.
- 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate, Prologue:
- Such a scandal as the prosecution of a brother for forgery—with a verdict of guilty—is a most truly horrible, deplorable, fatal thing. It takes the respectability out of a family perhaps at a critical moment, when the family is just assuming the robes of respectability: […] it is a black spot which all the soaps ever advertised could never wash off.
- 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate, Prologue:
- (law) The prosecuting party.
- 2012 August 21, Pilkington, Ed, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian:
- The prosecution case was that the men forced the sisters to strip, threw their clothes over the bridge, then raped them and participated in forcing them to jump into the river to their deaths. As he walked off the bridge, Clemons was alleged to have said: "We threw them off. Let's go."
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Related terms
Translations
the institution of legal proceedings against a person
the prosecuting party of the institution of legal proceedings