procession

American  

[pruh-sesh-uhn] / prəˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

• processions
  plural

1. the act of moving along or 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.

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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

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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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• processions
  plural

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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

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Explanation

A procession of mimes walking through the streets of your town would be surprising and somewhat terrifying. A line or group of people moving together in a deliberate way is a procession. You're most likely to see a procession during some kind of ceremony, parade, or festival. A line of cars moving together to a cemetery is a funeral procession, and a bunch of parents pushing babies in strollers in a parade are also a procession. Another meaning of procession is any line or succession of people moving continuously, like a procession of local politicians knocking on your door one afternoon. The root of procession is the Latin processio, "marching forward."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

procession processions

That parade did not happen and, after a series of legal challenges and talks between residents and Orangemen, the secretary of state banned the procession.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

"As a result, the procession cannot go ahead as it was determined."

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Thousands blocked the procession on September 27, halting the first parade which had been allowed along the route in almost three decades.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

That’s likely because Asco’s early performances, as the art historian and curator C. Ondine Chavoya points out in the film, emphasized procession, mobility, mobilization and occupation, marking sites of political violence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

A procession of wagons rolled through the gates and up to the doors of the castle.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

It also said it was "paramount that the residents be protected from any form of forced processions that disregard their consent, safety and right to live in peace free from intimidation".

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Ashura processions are usually dramatic affairs, with chanters singing elegies or dirges dedicated to Hussein, while audience members beat their chests and engage in displays of mourning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

Pyongyang has used previous processions to show off its newest and most potent weapons, a rare source of insight into the strength of its armed forces.

From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026

Though it stretched for more than two centuries, it’s an era best known for Elizabeth I and Shakespeare, stiff ruffs and courtly processions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

I've lived here twenty years, and I've seen more than my fair share of funeral processions.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

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Related Words

• cortege
• motorcade
• succession

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