procedural

1 of 2

adjective

pro·​ce·​dur·​al prə-ˈsē-jə-rəl 

-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

Know More The socialist organization is now mired in procedural infighting. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026

In my experience as a founder and CEO, when HR teams are buried under procedural noise and compliance overhead, strategic talent development tends to evaporate. — Syed Ahmad, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Noun

Transplant, which ran for four seasons, was a medical procedural about a Syrian refugee working as a doctor in a Toronto trauma unit. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026

After the 14-year-old actor, who plays Morgan’s (Olson) son Elliot on the ABC crime procedural, announced this week in a heartfelt statement that his mother Meredith died, his co-stars paid their respects in the comments section. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1876, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1963, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing procedural

• police procedural
• procedural due process
• procedural face mask
• procedural mask

Medical Definition

procedural

adjective

pro·​ce·​dur·​al prə-ˈsēj-(ə-)rəl 

: 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 

: of or relating to procedure

sentence reversed as result of procedural error in sentencing

—National Law Journal

compare substantive

procedurally adverb