- 1[uncountable, countable] the process of trying to prove in court that somebody is guilty of a crime (= of prosecuting them); the process of being officially charged with a crime in court Prosecution for a first minor offence rarely leads to imprisonment. He threatened to bring a private prosecution against the doctor. Wordfindertrialaccuse, appeal, counsel, defendant, evidence, justice, offence, plea, prosecution, trial CollocationsCriminal justiceBreaking the law break/violate/obey/uphold the law be investigated/arrested/tried for a crime/a robbery/fraud be arrested/ (especially North American English) indicted/convicted on charges of rape/fraud/(especially US English) felony charges be arrested on suspicion of arson/robbery/shoplifting be accused of/be charged with murder/(especially North American English) homicide/four counts of fraud face two charges of indecent assault admit your guilt/liability/responsibility (for something) deny the allegations/claims/charges confess to a crime grant/be refused/be released on/skip/jump bailThe legal process stand/await/bring somebody to/come to/be on trial take somebody to/come to/settle something out of court face/avoid/escape prosecution seek/retain/have the right to/be denied access to legal counsel hold/conduct/attend/adjourn a hearing/trial sit on/influence/persuade/convince the jury sit/stand/appear/be put/place somebody in the dock plead guilty/not guilty to a crime be called to/enter (British English) the witness box take/put somebody on the stand/(North American English) the witness stand call/subpoena/question/cross-examine a witness give/hear the evidence against/on behalf of somebody raise/withdraw/overrule an objection reach a unanimous/majority verdict return/deliver/record a verdict of not guilty/unlawful killing/accidental death convict/acquit the defendant of the crime secure a conviction/your acquittal lodge/file an appeal appeal (against)/challenge/uphold/overturn a conviction/verdictSentencing and punishment pass sentence on somebody carry/face/serve a seven-year/life sentence receive/be given the death penalty be sentenced to ten years (in prison/jail) carry/impose/pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment) be imprisoned/jailed for drug possession/fraud/murder do/serve time/ten years be sent to/put somebody in/be released from jail/prison be/put somebody/spend X years on death row be granted/be denied/break (your) parole crime Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecriminal, federal, private, … verb + prosecutionbring, initiate, be liable to, … prepositionprosecution against, prosecution for phrasesimmunity from prosecution See full entry
- 2the prosecution [singular + singular or plural verb] a person or an organization that prosecutes somebody in court, together with the lawyers, etc. He was a witness for the prosecution. The prosecution has/have failed to prove its/their case. defence and prosecution a prosecution lawyer Oxford Collocations Dictionary prosecution + verbprove something, allege something, claim something, … prosecution + nouncase, evidence, counsel, … prepositionfor the prosecution See full entry
- 3[uncountable] (formal) the act of making something happen or continue Word Originmid 16th cent. (in sense (3)): from Old French, or from late Latin prosecutio(n-), from prosequi ‘pursue, accompany’, from pro- ‘onward’ + sequi ‘follow’.
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