prosecute
/ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/verb
prosecute is spelled P-R-O-S-E-C-U-T-E: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “persecute vs prosecute” about 30 times a month (Bing, United States). As a verb, prosecute means “To start criminal proceedings against” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in prosecute?
| Letters | 9: P-R-O-S-E-C-U-T-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.5 times per million words; the 14,106th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is prosecute?
Prosecute appears 3.5 times per million words in written English, the 14,106th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce prosecute?
- /ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/
Prosecute has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-prosecute.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with prosecute
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of prosecute
- prosecutes present, singular, he/she/it
- prosecuting participle, present
- prosecuted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does prosecute mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To start criminal proceedings against.
to prosecute a man for trespass, or for a riot
- 2
To charge, try.
- 3
To seek to obtain by legal process.
to prosecute a right or a claim in a court of law
- 4
To pursue something to the end.
to prosecute a scheme, hope, or an investigation
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Prosecute in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | poursuivre en justice |
| German | strafrechtlich verfolgen, gerichtlich belangen, belangen , anklagen, bestrafen, vor Gericht stellen |
| Spanish | procesar, enjuiciar, encausar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does prosecute come from?
Borrowed from Latin prōsecūtus, perfect participle of prōsequor. Doublet of pursue, from Old French. Compare also persecute.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).