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

Sylvain told me that no other industry besides gun manufacturing has that sort of procedural protection. —Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 23 Mar. 2026

Cosby was sentenced in the Constand case in September 2018 to three to 10 years in prison, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction on procedural grounds in June 2021. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2026

Noun

Written by Beth Rinehart, the procedural is based on former New York City death investigator Barbara Butcher’s memoir of the same name. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 Mar. 2026

Their expertise spans kids, animation, comedy, unscripted, prestige dramas, CBS procedurals and lots of sports. —Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 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