treated someone cruelly or unfairly, often over a long period, because of their religion, race, or beliefs.
From Latin 'persequi,' meaning 'to pursue' or 'chase.' Combined with 'per-' (through) it originally meant to pursue someone relentlessly, then evolved to mean oppressing or hunting someone.
The word 'persecution' literally means 'to follow or chase'—because persecutors didn't just hurt people once, they hunted them relentlessly, and that chasing idea is locked into the word!
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