proceeding
Americannoun
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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:
GSK said it had taken a hit totalling £1.3 billion after not proceeding further with camlipixant following final stage trials.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Martínez-Olguín’s ruling is a first step toward potentially granting a preliminary injunction that would essentially stop the merger from proceeding during the case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
His attorney, Frank Perez, has denied any such arrangement, a position he reiterated again during Monday’s court proceeding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
"Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children."
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
We set off down the road for the campground and had walked about a quarter of a mile when from behind there was the crunching sound of a motorized vehicle proceeding cautiously through snow.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
The group continues to face legal proceedings following a recall, initiated in 2021, of its DreamStation sleep apnoea devices, found to stop working intermittently.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
After immigration agents began arresting people in courthouses, many immigrants grew wary of showing up for court proceedings, which has aided the increase in removal orders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Those who crossed the border illegally or who are undocumented can apply after being placed into removal proceedings, where they make their case to an immigration judge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
The majority judgement means that until his other case is heard and finalised the impeachment proceedings cannot continue.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The spirits were also known to ask participants to close their eyes during the proceedings.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
