persecutionPronunciation: /pəːsɪˈkjuːʃn/Translate persecution | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of persecution noun [mass noun] hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs; oppression:her family fled religious persecution persistent annoyance or harassment:his persecution at the hands of other studentspersecution in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of persecution in the US English dictionary