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

Democrats would use every minute — turning a procedural workaround into a prolonged, market-rattling spectacle. —Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026

Any number of technical factors and procedural issues could delay an importer’s application, so any reimbursements businesses plan to make to customers likely would trickled down slowly. —Mae Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026

Noun

The Boston Blue star, who reprises his role of Blue Bloods' Danny Reagan in the CBS procedural, is sharing what its really like to film scenes in his hometown of Boston. —Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026

According to ProPro data released last month, the state, which hosts three NBC Chicago procedurals, started off the year flat but saw a slight uptick in production spend year-over-year. —Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 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