procession

American  

[pruh-sesh-uhn] / prəˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

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.

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

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

Before the public are allowed to head to the viewing seats above the Commons chamber, they must wait for the Speaker's Procession.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

This being the Year of the Dragon made, for instance, the return of Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession a natural fit.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2024

The end of the St Giles' service will be marked with a 21-gun salute from Edinburgh Castle before the Royal Procession travels back to the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2023

They will return from the Abbey in the Coronation Procession in the 260-year-old, Gold State Coach which weighs four tonnes and needs to be pulled by eight horses.

From Reuters • May 4, 2023

About 100 clergy, twenty colour-bearers, 150 musicians, 10,000 leapers, 3,000 beggars, and 2,000 singers take part in the Leaping Procession at Echternach in Luxemburg, which is celebrated yearly on Whit-Tuesday.

From Church History, Vol. 3 of 3 by Kurtz, J. H.

Related Words

• cortege
• motorcade
• succession