prosecute

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
prosecute/ˈprɒsɪkjuːt/

▶verb

• 1 institute or conduct legal proceedings against.

  ■ institute legal proceedings in respect of (a claim or offence).

• 2 continue with a view to completion.

  ■ archaic carry on (a trade or pursuit).

– derivatives
prosecutable adjective.

– origin ME: from L. prosecut-, prosequi ‘pursue, accompany’, from pro- ‘onward’ + sequi ‘follow’.