proceeding

American  

[pruh-see-ding] / prəˈsi dɪŋ /

noun

1. a particular action or course or manner of action.

2. proceedings, a series of activities or events; happenings.

3. the act of a person or thing that proceeds.

   Our proceeding down the mountain was hindered by mud slides.

4. proceedings, a record of the doings or transactions of a fraternal, academic, etc., society.

5. Law. proceedings,

   1. the instituting or carrying on of an action at law.

   2. a legal step or measure.

      to institute proceedings against a person.

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proceeding British  

/ prəˈsiːdɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or course of action

2. 1. the institution of a legal action

   2. any step taken in a legal action

3. (plural) the minutes of the meetings of a club, society, etc

4. (plural) legal action; litigation

5. (plural) the events of an occasion, meeting, etc

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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. 

Etymology

Origin of proceeding

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; 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."

Example Sentences

Just a few months ago, Trojena appeared to be one of the few projects at Neom—envisioned to hold nine million people—that was proceeding apace, even as other components of the site were facing major cutbacks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

His now manager Alvaro Arbeloa spoke about how Madrid were going to be "proceeding cautiously and calmly" with Alexander-Arnold after his injury issues.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

The company imploded after a dispute with bank partners revealed a massive shortfall in customer funds and a failure to keep accurate ledgers, according to court filings in Synapse’s bankruptcy proceeding.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission declared effective a joint registration statement for the proposed business combination, a sign that things are proceeding smoothly.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

It looks like his diabolical scheme is proceeding according to plan.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• action
• course of action
• exercise
• experiment
• incident
• measure
• operation
• procedure
• process
• transaction