Word
proceeding
Phoneticspro·ceed·ing, stress on the second syllable
US/pɹəˈsidɪŋ/
UK/pɹəsˈiːdɪŋ/
Definitions
01legal action
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Law Formal
n. a formal action taken in a court of law.
n. a formal legal action or a specific step taken in a court case; often used in the plural to describe the entire case.
“The legal proceedings against the company lasted for over three years.”
“The judge stayed the proceedings pending the discovery of new evidence that could fundamentally alter the defendant's plea.”
Usage
Usually used in the plural form 'proceedings' when referring to a court case.
Synonyms
02an event or series of actions
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Formal
n. an event or a series of things that happen, especially at a meeting or ceremony.
n. a sequence of events or activities occurring at a particular time and place, often following a formal structure.
“The mayor opened the proceedings with a short speech about the new park.”
“A sense of solemnity governed the proceedings as the committee began the task of reviewing the annual budget.”
Usage
Often used in the plural to describe the activities of a meeting or event.
Synonyms
03academic records
C1 · Advanced Plural noun Education Academic
n. a published collection of reports or papers from a professional meeting or conference.
n. the published record of the papers delivered or the business transacted at a meeting of a learned society or academic conference.
“You can find her latest research paper in the conference proceedings.”
“The proceedings of the international physics symposium were published online, providing immediate access to the latest experimental data.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “proceeding” in context.
Verb
01. initiate legal proceedings
“The company decided to initiate legal proceedings against their former partner for breach of contract.”
verb + adj + noun
02. institute formal proceedings
“The disciplinary committee will institute formal proceedings if the allegations are not addressed immediately.”
verb + adj + noun
03. stay the proceedings
“The judge decided to stay the proceedings until new evidence could be properly evaluated by the defense.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. criminal proceedings
“The defendant was advised that criminal proceedings would begin early next month.”
adj + noun
05. divorce proceedings
“The couple reached an amicable settlement before the divorce proceedings were finalized.”
adj + noun
06. protracted proceedings
“Both parties were exhausted by the protracted proceedings that had dragged on for over three years.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. record of the proceedings
“A verbatim record of the proceedings was kept to ensure total transparency during the inquiry.”
noun + of + noun
08. stay of proceedings
“The lawyer successfully applied for a stay of proceedings due to the witness's sudden illness.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
09. during the proceedings
“Several interruptions occurred during the proceedings, causing significant delays to the schedule.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“The case could also have wider implications for public confidence in Mozambique’s justice system, particularly if it is seen as part of a broader political dispute rather than simply a criminal proceeding.” “Such a request lets an interested party in a foreign legal proceeding ask for discovery of information from an entity based in the US.” Etymology
By surface analysis, proceed + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/proceeding