nolle prosequi

Originating from Latin, "nolle prosequi" is a legal term signifying the voluntary discontinuation of a case by the plaintiff or prosecutor.

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Definition

(formal, technical)A formal declaration by a prosecutor or plaintiff to discontinue a legal case.

The prosecutor filed a nolle prosequi, effectively dropping the charges against the defendant.
The plaintiff decided on a nolle prosequi, ending the lawsuit before it went to trial.

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "nolle prosequi":