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Webster 1913 Edition


Proceed

Pro-ceed′

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Proceeded
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Proceeding
.]
[F.
procéder
. fr. L.
procedere
,
processum
, to go before, to proceed;
pro
forward +
cedere
to move. See
Cede
.]
1.
To move, pass, or go forward or onward; to advance; to continue or renew motion begun;
as, to
proceed
on a journey
.
If thou
proceed
in this thy insolence.
Shakespeare
2.
To pass from one point, topic, or stage, to another;
as, to
proceed
with a story or argument
.
3.
To issue or come forth as from a source or origin; to come from;
as, light
proceeds
from the sun
.
I
proceeded
forth and came from God.
John viii. 42.
It
proceeds
from policy, not love.
Shakespeare
4.
To go on in an orderly or regulated manner; to begin and carry on a series of acts or measures; to act by method; to prosecute a design.
He that
proceeds
upon other principles in his inquiry.
Locke.
5.
To be transacted; to take place; to occur.
[Obs.]
He will, after his sour fashion, tell you
What hath
proceeded
worthy note to-day.
Shakespeare
6.
To have application or effect; to operate.
This rule only
proceeds
and takes place when a person can not of common law condemn another by his sentence.
Ayliffe.
7.
(Law)
To begin and carry on a legal process.
Syn. – To advance; go on; continue; progress; issue; arise; emanate.

Pro′ceed

,
Noun.
See
Proceeds
.
[Obs.]
Howell.

Webster 1828 Edition


Proceed

PROCEE'D


Definition 2024


proceed

proceed

English

Verb

proceed (third-person singular simple present proceeds, present participle proceeding, simple past and past participle proceeded)

  1. To move, pass, or go forward or onward; to advance; to continue or renew motion begun.
    to proceed on a journey.
  2. To pass from one point, topic, or stage, to another.
    To proceed with a story or argument.
  3. To issue or come forth as from a source or origin; to come from.
    Light proceeds from the sun.
  4. To go on in an orderly or regulated manner; to begin and carry on a series of acts or measures; to act by method; to prosecute a design.
    • John Locke
      he that proceeds upon other Principles in his Enquiry
  5. To be transacted; to take place; to occur.
    • Shakespeare
      He will, after his sour fashion, tell you / What hath proceeded worthy note to-day.
  6. To have application or effect; to operate.
    • Ayliffe
      This rule only proceeds and takes place when a person can not of common law condemn another by his sentence.
  7. To begin and carry on a legal process. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Usage notes

  • When used as a catenative verb, proceed takes the to infinitive (i.e. one says proceed to swing, not proceed swing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs.
  • Not to be confused with precede.
  • Many of the other English verbs ultimately derived from Latin cēdō are spelled ending in "cede", so the misspelling "procede" is common.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related terms

Translations

References

  • proceed in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
  • proceed in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

See also

Anagrams