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

Many later resettled in the U.S. as refugees after facing persecution in their home country of Laos and went on to live, work and have families in the United States. —Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025

Larger groups, unable to be evacuated, such as the Hazara, have been subjected to years of persecution and targeted with bombings and attacks on their schools, hospitals, and Shia mosques, among others. —Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

The life of Eva, a social democratic activist, gets off the rails when civil war disrupts pre-fascist Vienna: Her young sons in foreign exile, her husband on the run, Eva keeps secretly fighting for her ideals and hides people in threat of national socialist persecution. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2025

This identifies five forms of persecution for relief – race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. —Mark Schlakman, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for persecution

• absolution
• allocution
• attribution
• comminution
• constitution
• contribution
• convolution
• destitution
• devolution
• diminution
• dissolution
• distribution

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