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
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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:
“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
During a brief court proceeding Friday, Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui scheduled a preliminary hearing for Tuesday to allow Floris and Benavides to begin challenging the basis for the case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 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
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
At the end of the proceeding, Herbert was shackled and sent back to death row, vexed, disappointed, and unhappy.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Barring a major last-minute surprise, the league will wind down through its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and go through liquidation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
A Newborn Baby Protocol has also been issued, which aims to provide a "greater level of fairness for child and parents" when care proceedings are issued immediately after the child's birth.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
She will remain in ICE custody pending her removal proceedings and will receive due process.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Nashiri was charged in April 2011 with offenses including murder in violation of the law of war and terrorism, but his case has been mired in pre-trial proceedings for years.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Content now to perch silently on his swing, the bird kept an eye on the proceedings with an occasional three-hundred-sixty-degree flip of the head.
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
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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.
