persecute
verb
Did you know?
Prosecute vs. Persecute
Take care to distinguish between prosecuted and persecuted, although we sincerely hope that neither word applies to you. Persecute typically has a small range of meanings, such as “to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict.” Although the word is occasionally found in dialectal use to mean “prosecute,” many usage guides consider this to be an error. Prosecute is generally found today in a legal context (“to bring legal action against for redress or punishment of a crime or violation of law”), although the word may also be used to mean “to follow to the end” or “to engage in.” If someone is prosecuted they are being tried in a court of law; if they are persecuted they are being targeted and harassed.
Synonyms
Examples of persecute in a Sentence
Joseph Torigian, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2024
In fact, many questionable stories swirl around the Pythagoreans who were persecuted for their philosophical and political ideas.
—Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 13 June 2024
Republican politicians have embraced Trump’s aggrieved view of himself as victim, persecuted by President Biden and a Democratic cabal, that’s entirely divorced from the past.
—Steven P. Grossman, Baltimore Sun, 13 June 2024
Taken together, the two verdicts are ammunition Joe Biden can use to counter the narrative that his Justice Department is persecuting him.
—Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for persecute 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'persecute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near persecute
Cite this Entry
“Persecute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persecute. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
persecute
verb
Share