persecution
Americannoun
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the act of persecuting.
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the state of being persecuted.
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a program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate people based on their membership in a religious, ethnic, social, or racial group.
the persecutions of Christians by the Romans.
noun
Usage
What does persecution mean? Persecution is the act of harassing or oppressing a person or a group of people, especially because of their identity.Throughout history, people have faced persecution because of their religion, race, ethnicity, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and many other factors.Example: People have been using the forum to call attention to the ongoing persecution of Muslims.
Other Word Forms
- nonpersecution noun
- persecutional adjective
Etymology
Origin of persecution
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English persecucio(u)n, from Late Latin persecūtiōn-, stem of persecūtiō (in Latin: “prosecution”), from Latin persecūt(us) “followed thoroughly, prosecuted” (past participle of persequī “to follow thoroughly, prosecute”; persecute ) + -iō -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One of those Individuals who would face persecution if their identities became known to their own government.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
To be eligible for asylum, a non-citizen had to demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country due to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
Burma has been in a brutal civil war, and for over seven decades, generations of refugees have been forced out, each fleeing their own harrowing chapter of persecution.
From Slate • Mar. 19, 2026
In 2005, when Amina Kadri's husband, Ikbal, fled Iran to escape political persecution, his family hoped Iraqi Kurdistan would be a safe haven.
From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026
The threat of persecution and deportation if found, and the fact that Alexandra was being demolished, did not stop this stream of forced migration.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
