'Persecute' means to unfairly harass or mistreat someone; 'prosecute' means to legally bring someone to trial.
"Persecute" means to mistreat, harass, or discriminate against someone unfairly and repeatedly, often because of their religion, race, or beliefs.
Throughout history, many groups have been persecuted for their beliefs.
She felt persecuted at work because of her accent.
The activist was persecuted for speaking out against the government.
"Prosecute" is a legal term: to formally charge someone and take them to trial in court.
The district attorney decided to prosecute the case despite the lack of witnesses.
He was prosecuted for fraud after the investigation concluded.
The company will prosecute anyone caught stealing from the warehouse.
Common mistake
In the news it's easy to mix them up because both appear in serious contexts, but they mean very different things: "persecute" is about suffering unfair mistreatment (you're the victim), "prosecute" is about facing formal legal charges (usually for doing something wrong). They're not synonyms.
Trick to remember it
"Persecute" is about cruelly chasing/mistreating someone (think "to pursue unfairly"). "Prosecute" has "pro-" like in legal "process": it's about moving the CASE forward in court.
Quick rule
Is it unfair, repeated mistreatment of a person? "Persecute". Is it a formal legal process in court? "Prosecute".
Did you know?
Both share the Latin root "sequi" (to follow), but with different prefixes: "persecute" comes from "persequi" (to pursue relentlessly, "per-" thoroughly), while "prosecute" comes from "prosequi" (to follow forward, "pro-" forward). In the original Latin, "prosequi" simply meant "to continue" or "to follow a path", and over time English legal usage narrowed it to mean "to carry a case forward in court".
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The refugees fled their country because they were being _____ for their religion.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The government decided to _____ the company for violating environmental laws.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
'Adopt' means to take something on as your own; 'adapt' means to adjust to something new.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy