persecution

noun

per·​se·​cu·​tion ˌpər-si-ˈkyü-shən 

1

: the act or practice of persecuting especially those who differ in origin, religion, or social outlook

2

: the condition of being persecuted, harassed, or annoyed

Examples of persecution in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As members of the Baha'i Faith, Zamani’s family faced persecution in their homeland. —Heather Wishart-Smith, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Morales denies having committed any crime and attributed the investigation to political persecution by Arce. —Mitchell McCluskey, CNN, 27 Oct. 2024

Today as hundreds of years ago, people come to our country and our city to seek opportunity and to flee persecution and poverty. —Iman Jodeh, The Denver Post, 20 Sep. 2024

As a direct result of this persecution coming from the very top of the Republican Party, among trans teens are skyrocketing and will surely increase further if Trump wins this way. —David Faris, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

persecution

noun

per·​se·​cu·​tion ˌpər-si-ˈkyü-shən 

1

: the act or practice of persecuting

2

: the condition of being persecuted

Legal Definition

persecution

noun

per·​se·​cu·​tion

: punishment or harassment usually of a severe nature on the basis of race, religion, or political opinion in one's country of origin

claimed persecution and sought asylum