procedure

noun

pruh-SEE-jur/pɹəˈsid͡ʒɚ/UKpruh-SEE-juh/pɹəˈsiːd͡ʒə/

Pluralprocedures

7 meanings of procedure

Practice

1
nouncountable or uncountable
A set of small steps you follow to get something done.
Like a recipe: a list of small steps that leads to a finished dish.
Baking bread is a simple procedure if you follow each step.
The teacher explained the procedure for the science experiment.
Similarprocess, routine, task, operation
2
nouncountable or uncountable
One particular way of doing a job or task.
Like having your own special way to tie your shoes.
There is a faster procedure for solving these math problems.
He showed me his procedure for memorizing new words.
Similarmethod, technique, process, system, approach
Note
3
noununcountable
The official set of rules an organization uses to get things done.
Like the set of rules a club follows at every meeting.
The company changed its hiring procedure last year.
Voting follows a strict procedure to keep things fair.
Similarpractice, protocol, process
Note
4
nouncountable or uncountable
A medical operation done by a doctor on a patient's body.
Like a repair job, but the doctor does it on the body.
The doctor explained that the procedure would take about an hour.
She felt nervous before her knee procedure.
Similaroperation, surgery
Note
5
nouncountable or uncountable
The steps that are followed in a court case or legal action.
Like the set steps a game follows so everyone plays fair.
The lawyer explained the procedure for filing a claim.
Court procedure can be slow and confusing.
Similarprocess, protocol
6
nouncountable or uncountable
A block of computer code that does a task but gives back no answer.
Like a helper that does a chore for you but brings nothing back.
The programmer wrote a procedure to clear the screen.
This procedure saves the file but returns nothing.
Similarsubroutine, routine
Note

Less common meaning

7
nounobsoletecountable or uncountable
The thing that comes out of something as its result or product.
There is not any known Substance, but Earth, and the Procedure of Earth (as Tile, Stone, &c.) that yeeldeth any Moss or Herby Substance.
1627, Francis [Bacon], Sylua SyluarumHere, Procedure means what comes from earth, things made from it.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From French procédure, which comes from Latin procedere, meaning "to go forward."