prosecution
n. C / Un. the process of taking someone to court to decide if they are guilty of a crime. It can also mean the team of lawyers who try to prove that person is guilty.
n. the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against a person or entity in a criminal court. It may also refer collectively to the legal party responsible for presenting the case against the defendant.
The prosecution presented its evidence to the jury.
The witness agreed to testify for the prosecution in exchange for a lighter sentence.
Despite a wealth of circumstantial evidence, the prosecution struggled to establish a clear motive that would satisfy the jury beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
Uncountable when referring to the legal process; countable when referring to the specific legal team or the act of pursuing a specific case.
the prosecution of the problemthe handling of the problemProsecution is strictly a legal term for criminal proceedings; it is not a general synonym for 'dealing with' or 'solving' a situation.