PROSECUTION

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does prosecution mean? 

• PROSECUTION (noun)
  The noun PROSECUTION has 3 senses:

1. the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior

2. the lawyers acting for the state to put the case against the defendant

3. the continuance of something begun with a view to its completion

  Familiarity information: PROSECUTION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PROSECUTION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a defendant for criminal behavior

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

criminal prosecution; prosecution

Hypernyms ("prosecution" is a kind of...):

action; action at law; legal action (a judicial proceeding brought by one party against another; one party prosecutes another for a wrong done or for protection of a right or for prevention of a wrong)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "prosecution"):

double jeopardy (the prosecution of a defendant for a criminal offense for which he has already been tried; prohibited in the fifth amendment to the United States Constitution)

Holonyms ("prosecution" is a part of...):

trial ((law) the determination of a person's innocence or guilt by due process of law)

Antonym:

defense (a defendant's answer or plea denying the truth of the charges against him)

Derivation:

prosecute (bring a criminal action against (in a trial))

prosecute (conduct a prosecution in a court of law)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The lawyers acting for the state to put the case against the defendant

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("prosecution" is a kind of...):

accumulation; aggregation; assemblage; collection (several things grouped together or considered as a whole)

Antonym:

defense (the defendant and his legal advisors collectively)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The continuance of something begun with a view to its completion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

prosecution; pursuance

Hypernyms ("prosecution" is a kind of...):

continuance; continuation (the act of continuing an activity without interruption)

Derivation:

prosecute (carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in)

 Context examples 

It was thus that I was to be taught to associate evil with their prosecution, happiness with their disregard.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Margaret returned, and the family were again all restored to each other, again quietly settled at the cottage; and if not pursuing their usual studies with quite so much vigour as when they first came to Barton, at least planning a vigorous prosecution of them in future.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

That brought out the first signs of grief that he had shown. ‘Why, dash it all!’ said he, ‘I’ve let them go at six hundred for the three!’ I soon managed to get the address of the receiver who had them, on promising him that there would be no prosecution.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The public has already learned those particulars of the crime which came out in the police investigation, but a good deal was suppressed upon that occasion, since the case for the prosecution was so overwhelmingly strong that it was not necessary to bring forward all the facts.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This interfered with the solitude I coveted for the prosecution of my task; yet at the commencement of my journey the presence of my friend could in no way be an impediment, and truly I rejoiced that thus I should be saved many hours of lonely, maddening reflection.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

It was a delicate part which I had to play then, for I saw that a prosecution must be avoided to avert scandal, and I knew that so astute a villain would see that our hands were tied in the matter.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)