To prosecute is to officially charge someone with a crime in court and try to prove they are guilty.
From Latin *prosequi* 'to follow up, pursue', from *pro-* 'forward' and *sequi* 'to follow'. It meant to follow something through to the end.
To prosecute is to 'follow forward' a case until it reaches a legal conclusion. The word reminds us that justice systems don’t just accuse; they’re supposed to keep following the trail all the way to proof or release.
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