Etymology

persecute

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Today it means: To pursue in a manner to do harm or cruelty to; especially, because of the victim's race, sexual identity, or adherence to a particular belief. Full definition →

Middle French persécuter ← Ecclesiastical Latin persecutor ← Latin persequor, persecutus
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The story

  1. Latin · derived frompersequor, persecutus“follow up, pursue”
  2. Ecclesiastical Latin · derived frompersecutor
  3. Middle French · borrowed frompersécuter
  4. English todaypersecute

Borrowed from Middle French persécuter, from Ecclesiastical Latin persecutor, from Latin persequor, persecutus (“follow up, pursue”), from per- (“through”) + sequor (“follow”) (English sequel). Compare prosecute. Cf. also pursue.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.