persecution

/ˌpɝsəˈkjuʃən/

persecution means the act of persecuting, especially a specific group of people; an instance of persecution.

persecution is pronounced /ˌpɝsəˈkjuʃən/.

Etymology

Equivalent to persecute + -ion. From Middle English persecucioun, from Old French persecucion, from Ecclesiastical Latin persecūtio (“persecution; chase, pursuit”), from Latin persequor (“follow up, pursue”), from per- (“through”) + sequor (“follow”). Displaced native Old English ēhtnes.

noun

The act of persecuting, especially a specific group of people; an instance of persecution.e.g.“Many apartheid perpetrators escaped prosecution for their persecution of black Africans and political dissidents.”

Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).