The act of conducting legal proceedings against someone accused of a crime. Also means to continue with a course of action with determination.
Latin 'prosecutus', past participle of 'prosequi' meaning to follow after or pursue, from 'pro' (forward) and 'sequi' (to follow). The legal sense developed in the 16th century, emphasizing the pursuit of justice through the courts.
The word captures the relentless nature of legal pursuit - prosecutors literally 'follow through' on behalf of the state or victims. Interestingly, the same root gives us 'sequel', showing how language connects the ideas of following through in stories and in justice!
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