the prosecution
noun
: the side of a legal case which argues that a person who is accused of a crime is guilty : the lawyer or lawyers who prosecute someone in a court case
The prosecution called their first witness.
The defense told the jury that the prosecution had not proved its case.
—often used before another nounprosecution attorneys/lawyers
Examples of the prosecution in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The anti-American side focuses exclusively on the tragedies, usually makes slavery the chief argument for the prosecution, and dismisses the triumphs as hypocritical rhetoric.
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Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Graf sided with a defense motion arguing the sheriff's office joint filing with the prosecution was procedurally improper, but did not make a decision about whether to issue a blanket ban on photography and video recording in the courtroom or hold certain hearings remotely.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Judge Arun Subramanian delivered a nearly four-year sentence, which lies in between the prosecution’s recommendation (11 years) and the defense’s ask (14 months).
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Yet the partial acquittal spared him a potential life sentence, and the prosecution’s demand for over 11 years behind bars ended up being pared.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Oct. 2025
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Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Graf sided with a defense motion arguing the sheriff's office joint filing with the prosecution was procedurally improper, but did not make a decision about whether to issue a blanket ban on photography and video recording in the courtroom or hold certain hearings remotely.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
Judge Arun Subramanian delivered a nearly four-year sentence, which lies in between the prosecution’s recommendation (11 years) and the defense’s ask (14 months).
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
Yet the partial acquittal spared him a potential life sentence, and the prosecution’s demand for over 11 years behind bars ended up being pared.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the prosecution
Cite this Entry
“The prosecution.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20prosecution. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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