I. prōˈsēd, prəˈs- intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English proceden, proceeden, from Middle French proceder, from Latin procedere, from pro- before, forward, forth + cedere to go, proceed — more at pro- , cede
1. : issue: as
a. : to come forth from a usually specified place or thing
his lips began to form some words, though no sound proceeded from them — Charles Dickens
b. : to come into being : take origin : originate
assuring her that his seeming inattention had only proceeded from his being involved in a profound meditation — T.L.Peacock
c. : to come forth by way of descent from a specified parent or ancestor
a family that proceeds from a long line of royalty
2. : continue: as
a.
(1) : to go on (as after a pause or an interruption) with what has been begun : go forward from a point already arrived at : go ahead
let us proceed with the examination of our second main question — W.J.Reilly
said he would proceed only when there was silence
(2) : to go on with one's movement or traveling : go forward on one's way : make one's way forward
had proceeded to the Polish capital — Current Biography
proceeded from one city to another
proceeded into the next room
(3) : to go on with what one is saying or writing : move along with the thread of one's discourse or the development of one's ideas
b. : to go on from one point to another : move along from one part of a series or sequence of things to another : pass along in an orderly regulated way usually decided upon in advance
later we shall proceed to a detailed discussion of the various parts of the country — P.E.James
3.
a. : to begin and carry on some action, process, or movement : set out on a course
proceeded to wage the bloodiest war in history — M.W.Straight
proceeded to walk up and down the big and half-lit chamber — William Black
proceeded to examine his new acquaintance — W.M.Thackeray
b. : to deal with something or act toward something in a particular way
proceed rather harshly with themselves
c.
(1) : to go to law : take legal action : enter upon a lawsuit
threatened to proceed against him
: engage in legal prosecution
decided to proceed against war criminals in a more thorough fashion — R.G.Neumann
(2) : to carry on a legal action or process
the courts are now proceeding with the case
4.
a.
(1) : to become progressively effected or moved toward completion
the job proceeded in the eerie glow of portable floodlights — E.J.Long
an understanding of how lawmaking proceeds — F.A.Ogg & Harold Zink
(2) : to be in the process of being done, accomplished, or furthered : be under way
negotiations now proceeding in the printing trade — Jack Morpurgo
b. obsolete : happen , occur
he will … tell you what hath proceeded worthy note today — Shakespeare
5. Britain
a. : to graduate as the recipient of an indicated academic degree usually higher than a B.A.
had proceeded M.A. at the age of 18 — Times. Literary Supplement
b. : to work toward an academic degree
undergraduates proceeding to a degree in the university — University of Toronto Cat.
6.
a. : to move along on a particular course or in a particular way or direction or toward a particular thing : move on : go along : advance
her thinking probably does not proceed exactly this way — S.L.Payne
as the conference proceeded — Vera M. Dean
the highway proceeds due south through a prosperous farm country — American Guide Series: Michigan
: make progress
proceeding steadily towards the beginning of a truly national literature — Report: (Canadian) Royal Commission on National Development
the organization of towns proceeded rapidly under his jurisdiction — W.E.Stevens
b. archaic : to make out : get along : fare
make inquiry what family he has, and how they proceed — Samuel Johnson
Synonyms: see spring
II. ˈprōˌsēd noun
( -s )
archaic : proceeds