procedural

American  

[pruh-see-jer-uhl] / prəˈsi dʒər əl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a procedure or procedures, especially of a court of law, legislative body, or law enforcement agency.

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noun

1. police procedural.

Usage

What does procedural mean? Procedural is used to describe things that involve a specific procedure—a particular way of doing something, especially one that is usually repeated in the same way each time. The word procedural is especially used in the context of formal, official procedures, such as those used in government and law. A procedural vote is typically one that is simply part of the process to move forward to a full and final vote on a matter. A procedural agreement is a kind of contract that governs how a collective bargaining process will be carried out. Procedural can also be used as a noun to refer to a procedural drama—work of fiction, especially a TV show, that realistically portrays a kind of professional work. A common type of procedural is a police procedural. The popular show Law & Order is a procedural. Example: This meeting is solely to deal with procedural matters—the debate on the actual issues will come later.

Other Word Forms

• nonprocedural
  adjective
• procedurally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of procedural

First recorded in 1885–90; procedure + -al ¹

Explanation

If you have to follow so many rules at work that it seems like nothing ever gets done, you could say that the procedural requirements of your job are getting you down. The adjective procedural describes something related to a required or standard course of action. Legal types are probably already familiar with the word procedural, which is often used to describe matters related to the law. The Senate, for example, may cite procedural roadblocks as the reason why nothing has been accomplish in a session. So that would give the Senate something in common with your workplace: having too many rules to follow — "procedural overload" — makes things take a long time.

Example Sentences

JD.com said that it viewed the in-depth probe as a normal procedural step in the commission’s review.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Kavanaugh’s opinion is quite narrow; it merely identifies a procedural Batson violation and does not by itself invalidate Terry Pitchford’s death sentence.

From Slate • May 28, 2026

The Virginia Supreme Court decision pointed to a procedural flaw which turned on the definition of an “election.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

The case has dragged due to judicial and prosecutorial recusals and other procedural challenges in what has become known as "Stop Stalingrad", in reference to a tactic aimed at wearing down proceeding through constant appeals.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

For such a seminal moment in a field that demands rigorous procedural records, the full circumstances of the cyclotron’s birth remain frustratingly indistinct.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik