procession

American  

[pruh-sesh-uhn] / prəˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

1. the act of moving along or proceeding proceeding in orderly succession or in a formal and ceremonious manner, as a line of people, animals, vehicles, etc.

2. the line or body of persons or things moving along in such a manner.

3. Ecclesiastical. an office, litany, etc., said or sung in a religious procession.

4. Theology. the emanation of the Holy Spirit from the Father and later, in the Western Church, from the Son: distinguished from the “generation” of the Son and the “unbegottenness” of the Father.

5. the act of coming forth from a source.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to go in procession.

procession British  

/ prəˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. the act of proceeding in a regular formation

2. a group of people or things moving forwards in an orderly, regular, or ceremonial manner

3. a hymn, litany, etc, sung in a procession

4. Christianity the emanation of the Holy Spirit

---

verb

1. rare (intr) to go in procession

Usage

What does procession mean? A procession is a line of people or vehicles moving along in an orderly and often ceremonial way.A very common example is a funeral procession, which is the line of cars or people traveling together to a burial. A parade is another kind of procession.Procession is the noun form of the verb process, meaning to proceed in or as if in a procession.Example: The procession was so long that they had to block traffic so it could stay together.

Etymology

Origin of procession

before 1150; early Middle English (< Old French ) < Late Latin prōcessiōn- (stem of prōcessiō ) a religious procession, literally, a marching on. See process, -ion

Example Sentences

In Spell 16, a funerary procession, stacked like a doll’s house, shows Ankhmerwer kneeling before three representations of the sun god.

From The Wall Street Journal

The traditional Palm Sunday procession into the city had already been cancelled due to restrictions on public gatherings.

From BBC

Based on an island tradition, last celebrated in 1914, it marked the first full moon of February with light, art and torchlit processions.

From BBC

Days after the strikes a mass funeral procession took place in the city.

From BBC

There was a constant procession through this little back room.

From Literature

Related Words

• cortege
• motorcade
• succession