proceed
Americanverb (used without object)
-
proceeds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
proceeded,
past participle, past
-
proceeding
present participle
-
to move or go forward or onward, especially after stopping.
- Antonyms:
- recede
-
to carry on or continue any action or process.
-
to go on to do something.
-
to continue one's discourse.
-
Law.
-
to begin and carry on a legal action.
-
to take legal action (usually followed byagainst ).
-
-
to be carried on, as an action or process.
-
to go or come forth; issue (often followed byfrom ).
- Synonyms:
- emanate
-
to arise, originate, or result (usually followed byfrom ).
noun
-
proceeds,
-
something that results or accrues.
-
the total amount derived from a sale or other transaction.
The proceeds from the deal were divided equally among us.
-
the profits or returns from a sale, investment, etc.
-
-
Archaic. proceeds.
verb
-
(often foll by to) to advance or carry on, esp after stopping
-
(often foll by with) to undertake and continue (something or to do something)
he proceeded with his reading
-
(often foll by against) to institute or carry on a legal action
-
to emerge or originate; arise
evil proceeds from the heart
Synonym Usage
See advance.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
proceedsimple
-
proceedssimple
-
have proceededperfect
-
has proceededperfect
-
am proceedingprogressive
-
are proceedingprogressive
-
is proceedingprogressive
-
have been proceedingperfect progressive
-
has been proceedingperfect progressive
Past
-
proceededsimple
-
had proceededperfect
-
was proceedingprogressive
-
were proceedingprogressive
-
had been proceedingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of proceed
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English procede, from Latin prōcēdere; see pro- 1, cede
Explanation
To proceed means to go or continue forward. But somehow "ready, set, proceed!" doesn't quite have the same ring to it. From the Latin procedere, meaning “go forward, advance,” proceed is a verb that simply means to keep going, particularly after there’s been an interruption. Synonyms include progress and advance. People who constantly interrupt make it really difficult for the conversation to proceed smoothly. And proceed with caution when crossing a busy street, but if the light turns red, you better move it fast!
Vocabulary lists containing proceed
Power Prefix: pro
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Beowulf vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Commonly Confused Words, List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Lior Prosor, managing partner at venture-capital fund Deep33, believes Anthropic is “more likely to proceed than delay, with the company and its bankers agreeing to a somewhat steeper IPO discount for the volatility.”
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2026
This would decide whether to proceed with up to £3bn of initial works and narrow down four current options, ahead of a final decision by 2030.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Oxford Economics expects the central bank will proceed with another rate hike in December before opting for a prolonged pause.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
This vote would decide whether to proceed with up to £3bn of initial works and narrow down four current options, ahead of a final decision by 2030.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
“Then proceed to the sleeping car and enter it through the rear door. We can talk privately there without bringing this entire case to rubble on our heads here in the open.”
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
After abandoning the farmland idea, the township pivoted to a plan involving buying other land for $26 million with bond proceeds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
At the midpoint of its proposed offering, and factoring in the greenshoe option and private sale to tech firms, proceeds could come out to roughly $93.7 billion.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026
She also had a restaurant in New York called Toukie’s in the 1990s, which gave a part of its proceeds to the Smith Family Foundation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
The spokesperson said Defra would use "all available avenues to recover the proceeds of Chowdhury's offending on behalf of taxpayers".
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
Night has just come when I hear the anthem that proceeds the death recap.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Collins proceeded to walk to the visitor’s side and sat by a bench taking photos until Tate approached her at halftime and asked her to leave.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
The robot then extended the two previously assembled truss bays out of the machine and proceeded to construct a third bay using the onboard assembly system.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
The football game between the two American Conference teams proceeded after a brief delay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
The 71-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with lung cancer after the surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, which the Vatican said had been "successful" and proceeded without complications.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Penelope proceeded warily through the pale, perfumed fog.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
District Judge Anne Hwang ordered that there be no reference to the first trial during the latest proceeding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Army spokeswoman Ellen Lovett said the timeline shifted to ensure safety and technical standards were being met, and the service is proceeding with safety and other improvements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
“I propose a new, audacious, and perhaps desperate strategy: a ‘jailbreak,’ ” it wrote to two others, proceeding to divvy up research tasks.
From Slate ● Oct. 25, 2026
On Wednesday, his doctors were quoted by the Vatican as saying that the pope's recovery was "proceeding as expected".
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Despite my hours of freedom, the summer was not proceeding as I’d envisaged.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
