procesar
/pɾoθeˈsaɾ/
To prosecute in Spanish is procesar. Wiktionary also lists encausar.
Meaning: To charge, try (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| procesar | /pɾoθeˈsaɾ/ /pɾoseˈsaɾ/ |
| encausar | /enkauˈsaɾ/ |
The verb procesar is used to mean 'to prosecute' within a legal context. However, outside of a legal setting, it is the standard verb for 'to process', such as when processing data or food.
Which one should you use?
While procesar is a general term that can mean both 'to process' and 'to prosecute', encausar is a more specific legal term. Use encausar when you want to describe the act of bringing a person formally before a judge or a court.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle procesado can function as an adjective to describe a person who is currently being prosecuted or legally processed.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾoθeˈsaɾ/
Did you know?
- Because procesar is the standard word for processing food, saying someone was procesado in a non-legal context could accidentally imply they were put through a food processor.
- The word encausar is formed from the prefix en- and the word causa, which in Spanish means both 'cause' and 'lawsuit'.
- In some Spanish-speaking legal systems, procesar refers specifically to the stage of the investigation before a trial begins, rather than the act of trying a case in court.
Examples in context
- El fiscal decidió procesarlo por malversación de fondos.The prosecutor decided to prosecute him for embezzlement.
- El fiscal decidió procesar al sospechoso.The prosecutor decided to prosecute the suspect.
- Van a procesar a los responsables del fraude.They are going to prosecute those responsible for the fraud.
Example conversation
Two people are discussing a news report about a crime.
- ElenaParece que el juez va a procesar al hombre.It seems the judge is going to prosecute the man.
- AlejandroSí, hay demasiadas pruebas en su contra.Yes, there is too much evidence against him.
- Elena¿Crees que lo podrán procesar rápidamente?Do you think they can prosecute him quickly?
- AlejandroNo, estos casos suelen tardar mucho tiempo.No, these cases usually take a long time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prosecute” translations and entries procesar, encausar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries encausar, procesar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
