Both persecution and the similar word prosecution come from Latin verbs meaning “to follow.”
Prosequor, which gives us prosecute and prosecution, can mean merely “to accompany,” but it can also mean “to attack.” The English word prosecution has a legal meaning: “the instituting and conducting of legal proceedings against a person or persons in respect of a criminal charge; an instance of this.” This is the usual sense in which the word is used.
Latin persequor, which gives us persecute and persecution, can be translated as “to follow with hostile intent.” The English word persecution means “systematic violent oppression directed against the members of a particular religious or racial group.”
In addition to religion and race, sex, gender, and other aspects of human difference can also be made the target of persecution.
The usual authors of persecution are governments; their targets are complete classes of people:
Rep. Keith Ellison speaks against Pakistani persecution…of Shia Muslims
Shrinking Numbers and Growing Persecution Threaten Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan
Government Persecution of Christians in China Worsens Significantly
Persecution of Indian Women
‘Moral crimes’ being used to persecute Afghan women
A Call to End the Persecution of Women Globally
Homosexuals in Africa face growing persecution
Persecution is a strong word that stirs emotions and calls up images of ravening lions, flaming pyres, and yellow armbands. To use the word as a mere synonym for harsh criticism, unfair treatment, harassment, dislike, or annoyance seems a waste. For example:
After nearly two months’ lull, the persecution of Alex Rodriguez [baseball player] has resumed.
The persecution of Tony Blair
Melissa Joan Hart persecuted for support of Romney
Why childless people are persecuted
The Persecution of Wisconsin Conservatives
Liberals Are Being Persecuted on Campus
Here are some possible alternatives for use in contexts that don’t really merit persecute or persecution:
harass/harassment
hound/hounding
badger/badgering
intimidate/intimidation
pester/pestering
bully/bullying
victimize/victimization
mistreat/mistreatment
Persecute vs. Prosecute
Persecute and prosecute and the verb forms of persecution and prosecution. Here are some quotations from the press using those words:
Pope Francis called Sunday for an end to the violence in Iraq, where religious minorities are being persecuted and driven out by the militant group the Islamic State. – USA Today
Florida has no law to charge children who make school shooting threats, which will make it difficult to prosecute recent arrests made after last week’s attack in Parkland. – USA Today
The verb “to prosecute” has a military meaning, too.
An army, navy, Marine Corps, etc., can prosecute attacks against an enemy.
During World War II, the U.S. Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal Navy prosecuted many attacks against Kriegsmarine U-boats in the North Atlantic Ocean. In fact, those attacks were prosecuted from the sea and from the air against the entire U-boat fleet and its offensive against Allied and neutral shipping.
Beginning sometime in 1943 or early 1944, the responsibility for hunting down U-boats in the South Atlantic was turned over to the Brazilian Navy so that they other three navies could concentrate on the serious U-boat problem in the North Atlantic.
Also, even though Holland was overrun by Nazi Germany, there were some warships of the Dutch Navy that were based in the Dutch islands of the Caribbean Sea (Aruba, Curacao, etc.) Unfortunately, the French Navy did not do too much because most of it was under the command of collaborators with the Nazis – through the Vichy French government. In fact, a large part of the French Navy was attacked and sunk by the British, who did not want any opposition from the French during 1940-42. There was a large British attack against the French Navy at Dakar, Senegal, in West Africa.
D.A.W.