Practice
Persecute and prosecute: understand the difference
Sign in to saveThe two verbs differ by only one sound, but they describe very different actions. A group may be persecuted because of its beliefs. A person may be prosecuted in connection with an alleged offence. One word describes harmful targeting; the other usually refers to a legal process.
Choose persecute for persistent harmful treatment directed at a person or group, and prosecute for the usual legal sense of bringing or conducting a case.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
persecute / prosecute /ˈpɜːsɪkjuːt/ /ˈprɒsɪkjuːt/
The short answer
Use persecute when someone is targeted with persistent harmful treatment. Use prosecute for the usual legal meaning of bringing or conducting a case against a person. The first verb is about the treatment of a target; the second is about a legal action.
The authorities persecuted the group because of its religious beliefs.
Why it works: Persecuted describes harmful treatment directed at the group, not a court case.
6 more examples
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The regime persecuted writers who criticised its policies.
The writers are targets of harmful treatment because of what they wrote.
Not this:The state decided to
prosecute the writerfor a claimed offence. What changes: Prosecute refers to starting or carrying out a legal case. It does not itself describe harassment. -
Families said that the community had been persecuted for decades.
The passive form puts the harmed community first and stresses a continuing pattern of mistreatment.
Not this:The prosecutor said that the case would
be prosecutednext month. What changes: Here the object is a case, so prosecuted concerns legal proceedings rather than the community's treatment. -
She feared that her colleagues would persecute her after the complaint.
Persecute focuses on the harmful treatment she expects from other people.
Not this:The office may
prosecute the complaintunder its formal rules. What changes: In this formal use, prosecute means to pursue a complaint or case through a procedure. -
The article described the persecution of people because of their beliefs.
Persecution is the noun for persistent harmful treatment directed at people.
Not this:The article reported that
the prosecutionhad ended. What changes: Prosecution is the noun connected with a legal case or the work of bringing one. -
The charity documented claims that farmers were being persecuted after speaking out.
Being persecuted describes the claimed harmful treatment of the farmers.
Not this:The charity did not decide whether anyone should
be prosecuted. What changes: Being prosecuted would concern legal action. The sentence does not say whether that action should happen. -
The lawyer was asked to prosecute the appeal.
In formal legal language, prosecute can mean conduct or carry forward a case or appeal.
Not this:The lawyer was accused of
persecuting a witness. What changes: Persecuting a witness would mean subjecting that person to harmful treatment, not conducting the appeal.
Read the full guide
Start by looking at the action. Is a person or group being repeatedly harassed, punished, or harmed? Choose persecute. Is the sentence about a case being brought or handled through a court system? Choose prosecute. The distinction is about English meaning and does not tell you what legal action is available or appropriate in any real situation.
Persecute describes harmful targeting
Use persecute when people repeatedly harass, punish, or harm a person or group. The word is often used when the treatment happens because of the target's beliefs, political views, religion, ethnicity, or identity. It is stronger than simply disagree with or criticise.
The group said it had been persecuted because of its religion.
The group is the target of the harmful treatment, so persecuted is the natural word.
Prosecute usually concerns a legal case
Use prosecute in its usual modern sense for bringing or carrying forward legal action. A state or prosecutor may prosecute a person, and a lawyer may prosecute a case. The word names the legal action, not a conclusion about what happened or who is guilty.
The office chose to prosecute the case.
The object is a case, which points to the legal meaning of prosecute.
Check what receives the action
With persecute, the object is normally the person or group receiving harmful treatment: persecute activists or persecute a family. With prosecute, the object can be a person against whom a case is brought, or a case, claim, or appeal that is carried forward. The object often helps you select the right verb.
They persecuted the activists, but later chose to prosecute the case.
The activists receive mistreatment; the case is handled through a process.
Which verb fits a sentence about a community receiving repeated cruel treatment?
Use persecute because the sentence is about harmful treatment of the community.
Notice the related nouns
Persecution names the harmful treatment: persecution of a religious group. Prosecution usually names a legal case or the act of bringing it: a prosecution for an alleged offence. The noun pair keeps the same difference between mistreatment and legal action.
The report separated allegations of persecution from the later prosecution.
Persecution concerns the alleged treatment of people; prosecution concerns the later legal process.
Keep language learning separate from legal decisions
Word choice can make a sentence clearer, but it cannot resolve a real complaint or case. Persecute describes a kind of harmful treatment. Prosecute describes a legal action or, in some formal contexts, pursuing an activity. Use the surrounding context for meaning, and seek qualified local guidance for legal questions.
The reporter used prosecuted for the case and persecuted for the treatment of the group.
Does the word prosecuted prove that a person is guilty?
No. It identifies a legal action in the sentence; it does not state the outcome of that action.
Before you go
Remember this
Persecute means repeatedly subject someone or a group to harmful treatment, often because of a belief or identity. Prosecute usually means bring or conduct legal action against a person or in relation to a case. Check whether your sentence describes mistreatment or a legal process, then choose the verb that matches that action.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Persecute and prosecute: understand the difference"
What is the main difference between persecute and prosecute?
Persecute means to target a person or group with persistent harmful treatment. Prosecute usually means to bring or conduct legal action against a person or in relation to a case. The words name different actions, even though they sound similar.
The regime persecuted writers who criticised its policies.
Can persecute mean bring someone to court?
No. In standard modern English, persecute refers to harmful treatment, harassment, or punishment directed at a person or group. Use prosecute for the usual legal meaning of bringing or carrying forward a case.
The state decided to prosecute the writer for a claimed offence.
Does prosecute mean that someone is guilty?
No. Prosecute identifies legal action or a legal process in the sentence. It does not state whether a claim is true, whether a person is guilty, or what result a case will have.
Families said that the community had been persecuted for decades.
What are persecution and prosecution?
Persecution is the noun for persistent harmful treatment of people, often because of their beliefs or identity. Prosecution is the noun for a legal case or the act of bringing one. The noun forms keep the same basic difference.
The prosecutor said that the case would be prosecuted next month.
Can prosecute have a non-legal meaning?
Yes. In formal English, prosecute can also mean carry on or pursue an activity, inquiry, claim, or appeal. This is separate from persecute, which continues to refer to harmful treatment of a person or group.
She feared that her colleagues would persecute her after the complaint.