Dictionary
per•se•cu•tion
Pronunciation: (pûr"si-kyOO'shun), [key]—
n.
1. the act of persecuting.
2. the state of being persecuted.
3. a program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate a people because of their religion, race, or beliefs:
the persecutions of Christians by the Romans. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.