procedural

1 of 2

adjective

pro·​ce·​dur·​al prə-ˈsē-jə-rəl How to pronounce procedural (audio)
-ˈsēj-rəl
: of or relating to procedure
especially : of or relating to the procedure used by courts or other bodies administering substantive law
procedurally adverb

procedural

2 of 2

noun

: a realist crime novel, film, or television drama with a specific focus
a courtroom procedural
especially : police procedural

Examples of procedural in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
A little question about a procedural issue about a cart in service of a cornerstone of our republic. Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024 Similar 14th Amendment challenges against Trump were rejected – all on procedural grounds – in Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts and Oregon. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024 The Freedom Caucus has routinely blocked procedural votes, stalling business on the House floor in protest of the speaker’s spending decisions. Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 Sollima’s series is based on direct testimonies, procedural documents and journalistic investigations. Boris Sollazzo, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024 There are procedural safeguards to prevent misuse or abuse of the protest system. Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2024 Budapest earlier this month dropped its objections to an EU funding deal for Ukraine worth $50 billion, which Orban had vetoed in December on procedural grounds. Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 There are a variety of reasons mishaps occur, which can include human error, mechanical failure, procedural guidance, or training. Laura Strickler, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 The measure got locked up in a key procedural vote. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024
Noun
The stories can be predictable, which is in itself predictable, or a little silly, not unusual among episodic procedurals, and perfectly acceptable. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 After more than 400 episodes on Law & Order, the actor behind Manhattan District Attorney Jack McCoy said farewell to the legal procedural on Thursday's episode. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024 Katherine Waterston Says Dad Sam Waterston's Passion for Acting Inspired Her to Follow in His Footsteps Waterston, 83, portrayed iconic District Attorney Jack McCoy from the NBC procedural's fifths season in 1994 through its initial cancellation in 2010. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 2 Feb. 2024 Together, the two series may herald a new hybrid genre befitting the end of TV’s prestige era: the cinematic procedural, which returns to the simpler, more episodic plots of network-style programming but retains streaming’s lavish budgets. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 Moreover, procedurals require a deft balance: An episode centers on the drama surrounding the case (or disease or disaster) of the week, as tackled by characters that have ongoing plotlines and deep backstories. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 1 Feb. 2024 And 2023 has dropped dozens of other worthwhile shows too, spanning a variety of genres for audiences of all stripes, from medical procedurals to period Westerns, political thrillers to time-traveling romances. TIME, 27 Dec. 2023 Networks are looking again to develop procedurals and multicam comedies, which can sustain long runs for relatively little money. Joe Otterson, Variety, 22 Dec. 2023 Parents have stopped watching CBS’s procedurals and started watching Netflix’s. Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 15 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'procedural.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1876, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of procedural was in 1876

Dictionary Entries Near procedural

Cite this Entry

“Procedural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/procedural. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

procedural

adjective
pro·​ce·​dur·​al prə-ˈsēj-(ə-)rəl How to pronounce procedural (audio)
: relating to or comprising memory or knowledge concerned with how to manipulate symbols, concepts, and rules to accomplish a task or solve a problem compare declarative

Legal Definition

procedural

adjective
pro·​ce·​dur·​al prə-ˈsē-jə-rəl How to pronounce procedural (audio)
: of or relating to procedure
sentence reversed as result of procedural error in sentencingNational Law Journal
compare substantive
procedurally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on procedural

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