- present participle of proceed.
proceeding
Americannoun
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a particular action or course or manner of action.
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proceedings, a series of activities or events; happenings.
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the act of a person or thing that proceeds.
Our proceeding down the mountain was hindered by mud slides.
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proceedings, a record of the doings or transactions of a fraternal, academic, etc., society.
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Law. proceedings,
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the instituting or carrying on of an action at law.
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a legal step or measure.
to institute proceedings against a person.
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noun
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an act or course of action
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the institution of a legal action
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any step taken in a legal action
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(plural) the minutes of the meetings of a club, society, etc
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(plural) legal action; litigation
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(plural) the events of an occasion, meeting, etc
Usage
What are other ways to say proceeding?
The noun proceeding refers to a particular course or manner of action. The plural proceedings refers to a series of activities or events, or to a record of the doings or transactions of a social club or academic society. Do you know when to use proceedings instead of procedure or process? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of proceeding
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at proceed, -ing 1
Explanation
The noun proceeding (often pluralized as proceedings) is used in legal settings to show something is happening, or moving forward: "During the legal proceedings the judge declared him mentally unbalanced." Most of the time, the noun proceeding is used in law to show that a sequence of actions have taken place, leading up to judgment day in court. If you move forward with legal proceedings, you might start by filing a lawsuit or a claim against someone. Outside of the law, the noun is also used to show the steps taken, that there is involvement with a process or venture, or that progress is being made: "He took the necessary proceedings to make sure everything was okay."
Vocabulary lists containing proceeding
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Crucible
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"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“When there is a large degree of uncertainty and the stakes are this high, proceeding with cautious optimism is the sensible and correct strategy,” Hassabis wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Ships might start trying to sail north through the Suez Canal, though proceeding from there to Asia—where Saudi Arabia sells most of its oil—would then require sailing all the way around Africa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Where we’re at right now, how we’re proceeding, I would say that it’s going to be some time,” Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
Investors may now feel the probability of Anthropic proceeding with its IPO this year is increasing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Surprisingly, despite the dead light and everything falling apart, the day in the Glade appeared to be proceeding business as usual—farming, gardening, cleaning.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
Those who crossed the border illegally or who are undocumented can apply after being placed into removal proceedings, where they make their case to an immigration judge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
After immigration agents began arresting people in courthouses, many immigrants grew wary of showing up for court proceedings, which has aided the increase in removal orders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Friday’s preliminary injunction request, filed in the District of New Jersey, escalates legal proceedings initiated earlier this week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
In a late-night social media post, Modi said his cabinet would discuss measures on Friday to speed up court proceedings against those involved in examination leaks.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Mr. Justice Wargrave took charge of the proceedings.
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
