proceed
Americanverb (used without object)
-
proceeds,
present (3rd person singular)
-
proceeded,
past participle, past
-
proceeding
present participle
-
to move or go forward or onward, especially after stopping.
- Antonyms:
- recede
-
to carry on or continue any action or process.
-
to go on to do something.
-
to continue one's discourse.
-
Law.
-
to begin and carry on a legal action.
-
to take legal action (usually followed byagainst ).
-
-
to be carried on, as an action or process.
-
to go or come forth; issue (often followed byfrom ).
- Synonyms:
- emanate
-
to arise, originate, or result (usually followed byfrom ).
noun
-
proceeds,
-
something that results or accrues.
-
the total amount derived from a sale or other transaction.
The proceeds from the deal were divided equally among us.
-
the profits or returns from a sale, investment, etc.
-
-
Archaic. proceeds.
verb
-
(often foll by to) to advance or carry on, esp after stopping
-
(often foll by with) to undertake and continue (something or to do something)
he proceeded with his reading
-
(often foll by against) to institute or carry on a legal action
-
to emerge or originate; arise
evil proceeds from the heart
Synonym Usage
See advance.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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proceedsimple
-
proceedssimple
-
have proceededperfect
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has proceededperfect
-
am proceedingprogressive
-
are proceedingprogressive
-
is proceedingprogressive
-
have been proceedingperfect progressive
-
has been proceedingperfect progressive
Past
-
proceededsimple
-
had proceededperfect
-
was proceedingprogressive
-
were proceedingprogressive
-
had been proceedingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of proceed
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English procede, from Latin prōcēdere; see pro- 1, cede
Explanation
To proceed means to go or continue forward. But somehow "ready, set, proceed!" doesn't quite have the same ring to it. From the Latin procedere, meaning “go forward, advance,” proceed is a verb that simply means to keep going, particularly after there’s been an interruption. Synonyms include progress and advance. People who constantly interrupt make it really difficult for the conversation to proceed smoothly. And proceed with caution when crossing a busy street, but if the light turns red, you better move it fast!
Vocabulary lists containing proceed
Power Prefix: pro
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Beowulf vocabulary
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UCPS 6th Grade Roots List #1
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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:
With the deal on the table, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio remembers pacing at home in his kitchen, trying to decide whether to proceed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
TotalEnergies will also proceed with share buybacks for cancellation of $2.5 billion "for the fourth quarter as well as for the first quarter 2027".
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
El-Sayed is in a tight race against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers and has put out what he calls “terms of engagement” for data centers to proceed, including clear community benefits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
Should the matter proceed to litigation, a central question will be whether Bianco was acting within the scope of his duties as sheriff when he seized the ballots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
As we proceed to the Hub, I start to understand the extent of the camp and how the razor-wired, sky-high security fence pens us in for miles, cameras trained on us.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
"Whether or not this merger proceeds, we will fully enforce delivery workers' rights," it added.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
When he graduated, they encouraged him to rent it out and keep the income; when we decided to buy, he sold the apartment and we used the proceeds for our own down payment.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
Part of the proceeds will go towards doubling the capacity of his Lagos-based 700,000-barrel per day refinery -- already bigger than any in Europe.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
Meanwhile, he continues to file what I believe are baseless motions in family court, using the proceeds from the house sale to drain my already meager earnings.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
As the passage proceeds, O’Connor keeps the herons in subject position.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
The extension was requested by both Lula's and Bolsonaro's campaign teams, and the head of Brazil's electoral authority has said that the vote proceeded normally and in full accordance with the country's laws and constitution.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
I got back up unscathed and proceeded to surprise him with an on-air Valentine’s Day marriage proposal on “KTLA 5 Morning News.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
The 71-year-old had surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, which the Vatican said had been "successful" and proceeded without complications.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
A few days after the handshake, the plot against Fairford proceeded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
They hauled up thick, juicy grass roots, knocked them against their arms to dislodge dirt, and proceeded to feed.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
“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
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
Also, management is evaluating whether to consolidate additional fiber assets before proceeding with the strategic investor process, which could further increase Telkom InfraCo’s scale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
It looks like his diabolical scheme is proceeding according to plan.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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