proceeding
Americannoun
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proceedings
plural
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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:
The Tates' lawyers have argued they should be released on bail pending their extradition proceeding, saying the brothers were not a flight risk and did not pose a danger to the community.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
In March, a federal district judge granted the trust a preliminary injunction, temporarily restricting the ballroom construction from proceeding while the litigation continued.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
State media later said the risk from that lake was "decreasing" and rescue operations were proceeding "in an orderly manner".
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
Democratic state Sen. César Blanco, whose district includes the area, told the Tribune after the meeting that Scott acknowledged a need to hear input from locals before proceeding.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
They did, but the court proceeding was mostly a glorified fact-finding inquiry.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
He said Officer 2 had resigned from the service and that Officer 3 had been suspended and was facing disciplinary proceedings, which could lead to his dismissal.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
This documentary drama, created by Elizabeth Marvel and director Lee Sunday Evans, is composed from the verbatim transcripts of these painful proceedings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
His sole memory from the trial is of his brother waving at him during the only day he attended the proceedings.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
He said: "I am grateful for the opportunity to respond, but I remain committed to the ongoing trust investigation, and it would be inappropriate for me to discuss this whilst proceedings are ongoing."
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
“Food taster,” Yishan whispered to Pinmei, who watched the proceedings with confusion.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
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.
