procession

American  

[pruh-sesh-uhn] / prəˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

• processions
  plural

1. the act of moving along or proceeding in orderly succession or in a formal and ceremonious manner, as a line of people, animals, vehicles, etc.

2. the line or body of persons or things moving along in such a manner.

3. Ecclesiastical. an office, litany, etc., said or sung in a religious procession.

4. Theology. the emanation of the Holy Spirit from the Father and later, in the Western Church, from the Son: distinguished from the “generation” of the Son and the “unbegottenness” of the Father.

5. the act of coming forth from a source.

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verb (used without object)

1. to go in procession.

procession British  

/ prəˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. the act of proceeding in a regular formation

2. a group of people or things moving forwards in an orderly, regular, or ceremonial manner

3. a hymn, litany, etc, sung in a procession

4. Christianity the emanation of the Holy Spirit

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verb

1. rare (intr) to go in procession

Usage

What does procession mean? A procession is a line of people or vehicles moving along in an orderly and often ceremonial way. A very common example is a funeral procession, which is the line of cars or people traveling together to a burial. A parade is another kind of procession. Procession is the noun form of the verb process, meaning to proceed in or as if in a procession. Example: The procession was so long that they had to block traffic so it could stay together.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• processions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of procession

before 1150; early Middle English (< Old French ) < Late Latin prōcessiōn- (stem of prōcessiō ) a religious procession, literally, a marching on. See process, -ion

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Explanation

A procession of mimes walking through the streets of your town would be surprising and somewhat terrifying. A line or group of people moving together in a deliberate way is a procession. You're most likely to see a procession during some kind of ceremony, parade, or festival. A line of cars moving together to a cemetery is a funeral procession, and a bunch of parents pushing babies in strollers in a parade are also a procession. Another meaning of procession is any line or succession of people moving continuously, like a procession of local politicians knocking on your door one afternoon. The root of procession is the Latin processio, "marching forward."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

procession processions

"But it seemed to me that the real threat was, precisely as the chief constable had outlined, I couldn't see how the procession could take place."

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

The procession last proceeded along Garvaghy Road in 1997 and was barred the following year, soon after a peace accord largely ended three decades of conflict over British rule.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

That’s likely because Asco’s early performances, as the art historian and curator C. Ondine Chavoya points out in the film, emphasized procession, mobility, mobilization and occupation, marking sites of political violence.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Later on Sunday the Pope will meet staff and residents at the health facility at Lourdes, before taking part in a torchlight procession in the evening.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

“They are starting the procession to the Grand Pier!”

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

After a week of mass funeral processions, rallies and mourning ceremonies in Iran, the assassinated former supreme leader has been buried.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

They often hold public processions and are widely seen receiving alms of goodwill from ordinary Thais.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

“You’d have tens of thousands of people and sheikhs in the streets, all roads closed to cars, processions all over the city, food being served. That’s why they called it ‘The City of Hussein.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

Though it stretched for more than two centuries, it’s an era best known for Elizabeth I and Shakespeare, stiff ruffs and courtly processions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

There were more songs, more speeches, more processions.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell

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Related Words

• cortege
• motorcade
• succession

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