prosecute means to start criminal proceedings against.
prosecute is pronounced /ˈpɹɒsɪkjuːt/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin prōsecūtus, perfect participle of prōsequor. Doublet of pursue, from Old French. Compare also persecute.
verb
- To start criminal proceedings against.“to prosecute a man for trespass, or for a riot”
- To charge, try.“The Vigilante is prosecuted in Federal Court under a lynch bill and winds up in a Federal Nut House specially designed for the containment of ghosts […]”
- To seek to obtain by legal process.“to prosecute a right or a claim in a court of law”
- To pursue something to the end.“to prosecute a scheme, hope, or an investigation”