proceed

verb

pro·​ceed prō-ˈsēd How to pronounce proceed (audio)
prə-
proceeded; proceeding; proceeds

intransitive verb

1
: to come forth from a source : issue
strange sounds proceeded from the room
2
a
: to continue after a pause or interruption
b
: to go on in an orderly regulated way
3
a
: to begin and carry on an action, process, or movement
b
: to be in the process of being accomplished
the work is proceeding well
4
: to move along a course : advance
Choose the Right Synonym for proceed

spring, arise, rise, originate, derive, flow, issue, emanate, proceed, stem mean to come up or out of something into existence.

spring implies rapid or sudden emerging.

an idea that springs to mind

arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent.

new questions have arisen
slowly rose to prominence

originate implies a definite source or starting point.

the fire originated in the basement

derive implies a prior existence in another form.

the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast

flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception.

words flowed easily from her pen

issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet.

blood issued from the cut

emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source.

reports emanating from the capital

proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause.

advice that proceeds from the best of intentions

stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development.

industries stemming from space research

Examples of proceed in a Sentence

Tenet's problem is that the intelligence and the war proceeded in lockstep: no intelligence, no war. Thomas Powers, New York Review of Books, 19 July 2007
But we're both gasping, and proceed to play the ugliest, slowest game in history. S. L. Price, Sports Illustrated, 31 Dec. 2007
That ash includes light particles that strong winds proceed to carry over much of the country … Jared M. Diamond, Collapse, 2005
After the interruption, she proceeded with her presentation. “Before we proceed further, does anyone have any questions?” We will proceed according to plan. We may not be able to proceed as planned. The problems have been fixed and the work can now proceed. All passengers must proceed to the baggage claim area. The crowd proceeded toward the exits. The troops proceeded north along the river. See More
Recent Examples on the Web The top two vote-getters will proceed to the Nov. 7 general election. John Hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023 Moving forward, the issue will proceed to the Office of Historic Resources for research, assessment and analysis. Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2023 The Longhorns proceed to go three-and-out and punt to the Crimson Tide. Matt Stahl | Mstahl@al.com, al, 9 Sep. 2023 Appearing on the digital cover of WSJ Magazine’s Fall Men’s Style issue and lensed by Meisel, 69, in a candid interview, the supermodel — who is donating her book proceeds to a breast cancer research organization, per the publication — shared that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. Nikki Dobrin, Peoplemag, 8 Sep. 2023 While claiming not to brag, Apatow proceeded to share his autograph collection of actor Burt Reynolds (Boogie Nights), actor Hal Linden (Barney Miller), and Carlo Rambaldi, famous for his work on character E.T. in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2023 Since then, the firm had yet to receive all the information necessary to proceed with the audit, Jennings wrote. Joseph Flaherty, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2023 Disney’s decision to remove their channel lineup, which includes all ESPN Networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU) as well as college sports channels like ACC Network, SEC Network, Longhorn Network and more, could last for weeks or end in a matter of days depending on how negotiations proceed. oregonlive, 5 Sep. 2023 The night concluded with daughter Carolina presenting her father with a special birthday present, a statue of Apollo playing a lyre, as well as an enormous birthday cake with 70 candles, which the birthday boy proceeded to blow out whilst walking around table-sized dish. Paul Croughton, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English proceden, from Anglo-French proceder, from Latin procedere, from pro- forward + cedere to go — more at pro-

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of proceed was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near proceed

Cite this Entry

“Proceed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proceed. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

proceed

verb
pro·​ceed prō-ˈsēd How to pronounce proceed (audio)
prə-
1
: to come from a source
2
a
: to continue after a pause or interruption
b
: to go or act by an orderly method
3
a
: to carry on an action, process, or movement
b
: to be in the process of being done
the work is proceeding well
4
: to go forward or onward : advance

More from Merriam-Webster on proceed

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