proceed
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to continue doing something that has already started.
to continue with a course of action or a task already initiated. Often used with the preposition 'with'.
Simple“After the short break, the manager asked us to proceed with the meeting.”
In context“The board of directors decided to proceed with the merger despite the concerns raised by the legal department regarding international regulations.”
UsageCommonly followed by 'with' plus a noun phrase.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to move in a particular direction.
to move forward or onwards, especially after stopping. Intransitive; typically followed by a prepositional phrase of direction.
Simple“Passengers for the flight to London should proceed to gate twelve immediately.”
In context“The hikers were instructed to proceed along the marked trail until they reached the base camp located near the northern ridge.”
UsageUsually takes the preposition 'to' or 'along'.
- 03 C1 Advanced
to happen or start as a result of something else.
to arise or originate from a specific source. Often used in academic or technical contexts to describe causality.
Simple“The problems in the company proceed from a lack of clear communication.”
In context“The researchers argued that the observed chemical changes proceed from the interaction between the catalyst and the ambient moisture.”
UsageTypically takes the preposition 'from'.
- 04 C1 Advanced
to start or continue a legal case against someone.
to initiate or carry on legal action or a formal judicial process.
Simple“The victim decided to proceed against the company for negligence.”
In context“The crown prosecutor determined there was sufficient evidence to proceed against the defendant on all three counts of fraud.”
UsageOften used with 'against' when referring to a person or entity being sued.
proceed vs precede — Precede means to come before in time or order, while proceed means to continue or move forward.
Usage proceed with its investigation · analysis proceed · research proceed
“Seoul said the drills with the US would proceed "as scheduled".”
“In many cases, local health departments or environmental agencies must review testing results before rebuilding can proceed.”
From Middle English proceden, from Old French proceder, from Latin prōcēdō (“to go forth, go forward, advance”), from prō (“forth”) + cēdō (“to go”); see cede.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.