persecution

Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

Related to persecution: Persecution complex

per·se·cu·tion

(pûr′sĭ-kyo͞o′shən)

1. The act or practice of persecuting on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs that differ from those of the persecutor.

2. The condition of being persecuted.

per′se·cu′tion·al adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

persecution

(ˌpɜːsɪˈkjuːʃən)

the act of persecuting or the state of being persecuted

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

per•se•cu•tion

(ˌpɜr sɪˈkyu ʃən)

n.

1. the act of persecuting.

2. the state of being persecuted.

[1300–50]

per`se•cu′tion•al, adj.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun

persecution - the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion)

abuse, ill-treatment, ill-usage, maltreatment - cruel or inhumane treatment; "the child showed signs of physical abuse"

oppression, subjugation - the act of subjugating by cruelty; "the tyrant's oppression of the people"

pogrom - organized persecution of an ethnic group (especially Jews)

rendition - handing over prisoners to countries where torture is allowed

torturing, torture - the deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession or for any other reason; "it required unnatural torturing to extract a confession"

faith, religion, religious belief - a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny; "he lost his faith but not his morality"

persecution

noun victimization, abuse, torture, torment, oppression, tyranny, discrimination against, mistreatment, ill-treatment, maltreatment, tyrannization the persecution of minorities

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

persecution

noun

Excruciating punishment:

hell, living hell, torment, torture.

Idiom: tortures of the damned.

Translations

إضْطِهاد، تَعْذيب

pronásledování

forfølgelse

ofsókn

pregon

işkence etme

迫害

persecution

[ˌpɜːsɪˈkjuːʃən]

A. N → persecución f

B. CPD persecution complex N (Psych) → complejo m persecutorio
persecution mania N (Psych) → manía f persecutoria

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

persecution

[ˌpɜː^rsɪˈkjuːʃ^ən] n → persécution f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

persecution

n → Verfolgung f → (of von); his persecution by the press → seine Verfolgung durch die Presse; to have a persecution complex → an Verfolgungswahn leiden

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

persecution

[ˌpɜːsɪˈkjuːʃ/ən] n → persecuzione f

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

persecute

(ˈpəːsikjuːt) verb

to make (someone) suffer, especially because of their opinions or beliefs. They were persecuted for their religion.

ˌperseˈcution noun

ˈpersecutor noun

persecution

n. persecución, acosamiento.

References in classic literature ?

The Quakers, esteeming persecution as a divine call to the post of danger, laid claim to a holy courage, unknown to the Puritans themselves, who had shunned the cross, by providing for the peaceable exercise of their religion in a distant wilderness.

View in context

Larger, older, and stronger, Lip-lip had selected White Fang for his special object of persecution. While Fang fought willingly enough, but he was outclassed.

View in context

And one of our boarders has suffered much from the vengeance and persecution of the cardinal!"

View in context

Meantime, those of the Puritans who remained in England continued to suffer grievous persecution on account of their religious opinions.

View in context

Fuchs told me that the sunflowers were introduced into that country by the Mormons; that at the time of the persecution, when they left Missouri and struck out into the wilderness to find a place where they could worship God in their own way, the members of the first exploring party, crossing the plains to Utah, scattered sunflower seed as they went.

View in context

Persecution on the subject of Sir James was entirely at an end; his name merely mentioned to say that he was not in London; and indeed, in all her conversation, she was solicitous only for the welfare and improvement of her daughter, acknowledging, in terms of grateful delight, that Frederica was now growing every day more and more what a parent could desire.

View in context

They had been the settlers of thirteen separate and distinct English colonies, along the margin of the shore of the North American Continent; contiguously situated, but chartered by adventurers of characters variously diversified, including sectarians, religious and political, of all the classes which for the two preceding centuries had agitated and divided the people of the British islands--and with them were intermingled the descendants of Hollanders, Swedes, Germans, and French fugitives from the persecution of the revoker of the Edict of Nantes.

View in context

Whether it was that Fortune was apprehensive lest Jones should sink under the weight of his adversity, and that she might thus lose any future opportunity of tormenting him, or whether she really abated somewhat of her severity towards him, she seemed a little to relax her persecution, by sending him the company of two such faithful friends, and what is perhaps more rare, a faithful servant.

View in context

That what we falsely call a religious cry is easily raised by men who have no religion, and who in their daily practice set at nought the commonest principles of right and wrong; that it is begotten of intolerance and persecution; that it is senseless, besotted, inveterate and unmerciful; all History teaches us.

View in context

Tublat was his most consistent enemy, but it was through Tublat that, when he was about thirteen, the persecution of his enemies suddenly ceased and he was left severely alone, except on the occasions when one of them ran amuck in the throes of one of those strange, wild fits of insane rage which attacks the males of many of the fiercer animals of the jungle.

View in context

Providence has willed that you should be persecuted; this persecution to-day consecrates you king of France.

View in context

Her story quite affected me--'pon my word and honour, it did--never was such a cruel persecution borne so angelically, I may say.