prosecution
/ˌpɹɑ.sɪˈkju.ʃən/noun
prosecution is spelled P-R-O-S-E-C-U-T-I-O-N: 11 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,456th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, prosecution means “The act of prosecuting a scheme or endeavor” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of prosecution is prosecutions.
How many letters and syllables are in prosecution?
| Letters | 11: P-R-O-S-E-C-U-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 11 times per million words; the 6,456th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is prosecution?
Prosecution appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,456th 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 prosecution?
- UK /ˌpɹɒs.ɪˈkjuː.ʃən/
- US /ˌpɹɑ.sɪˈkju.ʃən/
- Canada /ˌpɹɒs.ɪˈkju.ʃən/
Prosecution has 4 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-prosecution.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with prosecution?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as prosecution from its last stressed vowel (/uʃən/):
- distribution
- institution
- contribution
- pollution
- persecution
- dissolution
- substitution
- restitution
- dilution
- Confucian
- destitution
- Rosicrucian
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of prosecution
- prosecutions plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does prosecution mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of prosecuting a scheme or endeavor.
The prosecution of the war fell to Winston Churchill.
- 2
The institution of legal proceedings (particularly criminal) against a person.
- 3
The prosecuting party.
- 4
In many countries, a legal body and institution, usually part of the state apparatus, empowered to perform prosecution. Prosecutor's Office. See Prosecutor.
Backed by public outrage, the prosecution requested the death penalty to be imposed on the murderer.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Prosecution in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | parquet , vindicte |
| German | Verfolgung, Strafverfolgung f strafrechtliche Verfolgung , verfolgende Behörde, Strafverfolgungsbehörde |
| Spanish | procesamiento , acusación, fiscalía |
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 prosecution come from?
Equivalent to prosecute + -ion, from Middle French prosecution, from Late Latin prōsecutio, from Latin prōsequor (“follow, pursue”), from pro- (“onward”) + sequor (“follow”) (English sequel). Compare persecution, and see more at prosecute.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).