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prosecutorial

prosecutorial

26 7.9
Blaming and forceful when asking questions, making someone feel defensive
  • adjective
  • /ˌprɒsɪkjuˈtɔːriəl/
: fiscal
  • His prosecutorial questioning during the trial made the witness feel increasingly pressured.
  • prosecutorial misconduct
  • prosecutorial discretion
  • prosecutorial jurisdiction

Fortunately, they're beginning to change that and we're seeing more prosecutorial discretion.

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Examples

  • Investigative and prosecutorial staff should also include persons with juvenile justice experience.

    Academic text (2001)
  • You, Lauren, could advise us on the lay of the local prosecutorial landscape.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • I am coming to the position from outside the prosecutorial arena.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Why we are in a country where people use prosecutorial positions to advance their own careers.

  • I think the people in place have no problem using their prosecutorial authority and using the judiciary as a weapon of politics.

  • You have always taken such a lively, even prosecutorial interest in my household accounts.

  • I think it is possible to bring some of that same skepticism towards prosecutorial decisions.

  • The absence of guidance on this point has the potential to undermine prosecutorial efforts.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Now, based on McCluskey, look into why it was and what prosecutorial decisions were made and whether race influenced those decisions at all.

  • But it is the prosecutorial greed here that should not be overlooked.

    Academic text (2018)

Synonyms

prosecutive
vsprosecutorial
  • Formal
1 8.2

Relating to taking legal action to prove someone broke the law

is more accusatory and aggressive in tone than a neutral legal action
procuratorial
vsprosecutorial
  • Formal
1 9.8

Relating to a public official who manages legal matters or represents the state in court

is more accusatory and aggressive in tone than neutral official duties
accusatorial
vsprosecutorial
  • Formal
1 9.9

A legal system where a person is blamed in public and tried while the judge stays neutral

emphasizes an accusatory and aggressive stance rather than the broader legal process
criminatory
vsprosecutorial
  • Formal
1 9.6

Suggesting that someone is guilty or to blame, especially in a legal case

comes from official legal action and is more openly aggressive than mere implication

Antonyms

404 3.8

Made to protect against attack or harm

How Accusatory

aggressive
329 3.7
prosecutorial
26 7.9
firm
209 2.7
neutral
198 3.6

Surface Forms

prosecutorial positive

Morphology

prosecutorial = prosecute (semi-transparent) = prosecute + orial

The suffix '-orial' is less common and may not be immediately recognized by learners, although it clearly relates to 'prosecute'.

Etymology

Prosecutorial comes from the same root as prosecute, made from the Latin parts pro- ('forward') and sequi ('to follow'), and is like the English word pursue. So, a prosecutorial approach is like 'pursuing' a case or person, pressing hard with accusing questions.