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:
Blood tests and an X-ray early on Wednesday showed his recovery was "proceeding normally", the doctors said, and he has also undergone respiratory physiotherapy.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Justice Department officials said the case is proceeding apace, with roughly a dozen prosecutors continuing to pursue a set of related investigations that could result in charges in coming weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
Police again stopped the Orangemen from proceeding on Sunday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Such problems have occurred many other times, though generally they have not prevented executions from proceeding.
From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026
“That tells us whom we must persuade to accompany us on the quest. We are proceeding as if the ‘two over’ are you and your sister.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
The AI entertainment company said Monday that it had commenced voluntary bankruptcy proceedings in Delaware to facilitate a sale of most or all of its assets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Tenenbaum was giving evidence during proceedings taken against Abramovich by a company owned by another Russian billionaire, who was claiming the oil fields had been stolen from him and other investors.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
The judge temporarily halted further tree removal until at least Tuesday afternoon, warning that violating her order could trigger contempt proceedings.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
They also want better social and educational programs, as well as a reduction in the inmate population from over 6,500 to 4,000 -- driven by quicker court proceedings and transferring people to other units.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
One of the delegates’ first acts was a decision that “the doors be kept shut” and that “the members consider themselves under the strongest obligations of honor, to keep the proceedings secret.”
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
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.
