plural processes
ˈprä-ˌse-səz 
ˈprō-,
-sə-,
-ˌsēz
1
b
: something going on : proceeding
2
a(1)
: a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result
the process of growth
(2)
: a continuing natural or biological activity or function
such life processes as breathing
b
: a series of actions or operations conducing to an end
especially
: a continuous operation or treatment especially in manufacture
3
a
: the whole course of proceedings in a legal action
b
: the summons, mandate, or writ used by a court to compel the appearance of the defendant in a legal action or compliance with its orders
4
: a prominent or projecting part of an organism or organic structure
a bone process
a nerve cell process
5
processed; processing; processes
1
2
a
: to subject to a special process or treatment (as in the course of manufacture or film development)
b(1)
: to subject to or handle through an established usually routine set of procedures
process insurance claims
(2)
: to integrate sensory information received so that an action or response is generated
the brain processes visual images relayed from the retina
(3)
: to subject to examination or analysis
computers process data
c
: to work (hair) into a conk
1
: treated or made by a special process especially when involving synthesis or artificial modification
2
: made by or used in a mechanical or photomechanical duplicating process
3
: of or involving illusory effects usually introduced during processing of the film
processed; processing; processes
Examples of process in a Sentence
Noun
How does the election process work?
Learning a foreign language can be a long process.
We're remodeling our house. The whole process is expected to take a few months.
Breathing and the circulation of blood are life processes.
a bony process on the foot
Recent Examples on the Web
Holly Jones, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024
What are Arizona's rules on short-term rentals? Unlike ridesharing or food delivery apps, getting started making money on Airbnb can be a bit more of a process.
—Marcus Reichley, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024
How To Make Shrimp Alfredo While this dish might seem difficult to prepare, the process is incredibly easy.
—Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024
Drexel Mack, a 41-year-old civil process server with Jackson County, and Independence Police Officer Cody Allen, 35, died at an Independence hospital.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024
The county has implemented a prompt election night schedule for a smooth election process.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Was that a linear process for you, having to get something out on that first album in order to settle into the mindset of this one?
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2024
The Lake County judge overseeing the case ruled last fall that retailers and manufacturers who are defendants in the case must comply with the city’s requests to turn over decades of internal records as part of a legal process known as discovery.
—The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2024
Surgical interventions, like liposuction, help kick start the process — especially when there is a considerable amount of weight at the starting point — but there is a maximum amount of fat that can be removed at one time.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024
Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2024
That means consuming more whole foods—aka ones that have not been processed.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024
The Wisconsin Lottery recommends arriving by 3:30 p.m. for most prizes and 2 p.m. for prizes of $50,000 or more to allow enough time to process your ticket.
—Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024
For months, large swaths of Democratic, independent and moderate Republican voters have moved through familiar emotional stages, processing the prospect of President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump fighting it out, once again, for months.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024
And transitions come at a cost: Accenture is still processing some 19,000 job cuts announced a year ago amid business and economic shifts.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024
There is a sprawling, 144,000-square-foot facility abutting the 60 Freeway in the City of Industry where hundreds of employees have already been working for weeks processing vote-by-mail ballots.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Now everything happens faster than the brain can process.
—Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024
The new options include enabling sideloading so that EU users can download apps through app marketplaces other than the App Store, enabling alternative ways to process payments on the App Store, and many other changes.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024
Karl Freund, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2021
Regrind silicone used in the speaker is made by reclaiming and upcycling post-process and post-consumer silicone scraps that might otherwise end up in landfill.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022
The One Drop has durable sides and a base made from REGRIND Silicone, a material created by reclaiming and upcycling post-process silicone scraps that would otherwise go to waste.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 19 July 2022
This may have positioned several large cities that chose to pre-process ballots to deliver election results earlier than expected.
—Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 4 Nov. 2020
State Democrats and Republicans both agree that local election workers should be allowed to pre-process ballots early.
—Kristine Phillips, USA TODAY, 22 Oct. 2020
The state can’t yet process unemployment claims from independent contractors and the self-employed, even though the federal government has temporarily extended benefits to those workers, St. Louis Public Radio reported.
—USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2020
The recent rise of memes seeming to make light of the Wuhan virus or international tensions offers a glimpse into how teenagers learn about and process world events.
—Nicole Daniels, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2020
Knowing that people process things differently and that's OK.
—Gabe Bergado, Teen Vogue, 13 Sep. 2019
Mike Rodak | Mrodak@al.com, al, 11 Apr. 2023
Under the plan, companies licensed to grow, process and sell medical cannabis will be eligible to receive licenses to participate in the recreational market by paying a one-time conversion fee of between $100,000 and $2 million, based on their 2022 sales.
—Erin Cox, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2023
The Securitas cash depot was a squat, fortress-like building in Kent, England, where millions of pounds were processed for various banks.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2023
And that becomes the problem because the dream never gets processed.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 9 Apr. 2023
Daniel Sumner, the director of the University of California Agricultural Issues Lab, said that processed tomato prices have already been high thanks to global supply issues and record drought in California.
—Cara Korte, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2023
Militant fighters were posted outside to maintain order while coalition troops processed those seeking entry.
—Dan Lamothe and Karen Deyoung, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Apr. 2023
As that product — a can of caviar, say, or a batch of coffee — moves through the supply chain, its digital twin gets encoded with information about how it has been transported and processed, providing a transparent log for companies and consumers.
—Ana Swanson, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2023
Yes, colored glass can be recycled when it is processed with glass that all has the same color.
—Maria Marabito, Treehugger, 6 Apr. 2023
Noun
The feeling of those years is reflected, in some ways, in the film but the synthesis process also generates precision.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024
What are Arizona's rules on short-term rentals? Unlike ridesharing or food delivery apps, getting started making money on Airbnb can be a bit more of a process.
—Marcus Reichley, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024
How To Make Shrimp Alfredo While this dish might seem difficult to prepare, the process is incredibly easy.
—Micah A Leal, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024
Drexel Mack, a 41-year-old civil process server with Jackson County, and Independence Police Officer Cody Allen, 35, died at an Independence hospital.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024
The county has implemented a prompt election night schedule for a smooth election process.
—Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024
Was that a linear process for you, having to get something out on that first album in order to settle into the mindset of this one?
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2024
The Lake County judge overseeing the case ruled last fall that retailers and manufacturers who are defendants in the case must comply with the city’s requests to turn over decades of internal records as part of a legal process known as discovery.
—The Indianapolis Star, 6 Mar. 2024
Surgical interventions, like liposuction, help kick start the process — especially when there is a considerable amount of weight at the starting point — but there is a maximum amount of fat that can be removed at one time.
—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
Change Healthcare processes 15 billion medical claims a year, far more than any other company, and is a critical pipeline connecting health-care organizations with insurance companies who review their claims, pay for their services and determine the costs of care for patients.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 6 Mar. 2024
That means consuming more whole foods—aka ones that have not been processed.
—Anna Halkidis, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024
The Wisconsin Lottery recommends arriving by 3:30 p.m. for most prizes and 2 p.m. for prizes of $50,000 or more to allow enough time to process your ticket.
—Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024
For months, large swaths of Democratic, independent and moderate Republican voters have moved through familiar emotional stages, processing the prospect of President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump fighting it out, once again, for months.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024
And transitions come at a cost: Accenture is still processing some 19,000 job cuts announced a year ago amid business and economic shifts.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024
There is a sprawling, 144,000-square-foot facility abutting the 60 Freeway in the City of Industry where hundreds of employees have already been working for weeks processing vote-by-mail ballots.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Now everything happens faster than the brain can process.
—Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024
The new options include enabling sideloading so that EU users can download apps through app marketplaces other than the App Store, enabling alternative ways to process payments on the App Store, and many other changes.
—David Phelan, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The Xe HPC device is a multi-tiled, multi-process-node package with new GPU cores, HBM2e memory, a new Xe Link interconnect, and PCIe Gen 5 implemented with over 100-billion transistors.
—Karl Freund, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2021
Regrind silicone used in the speaker is made by reclaiming and upcycling post-process and post-consumer silicone scraps that might otherwise end up in landfill.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022
The One Drop has durable sides and a base made from REGRIND Silicone, a material created by reclaiming and upcycling post-process silicone scraps that would otherwise go to waste.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 19 July 2022
This may have positioned several large cities that chose to pre-process ballots to deliver election results earlier than expected.
—Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 4 Nov. 2020
State Democrats and Republicans both agree that local election workers should be allowed to pre-process ballots early.
—Kristine Phillips, USA TODAY, 22 Oct. 2020
The state can’t yet process unemployment claims from independent contractors and the self-employed, even though the federal government has temporarily extended benefits to those workers, St. Louis Public Radio reported.
—USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2020
The recent rise of memes seeming to make light of the Wuhan virus or international tensions offers a glimpse into how teenagers learn about and process world events.
—Nicole Daniels, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2020
Knowing that people process things differently and that's OK.
—Gabe Bergado, Teen Vogue, 13 Sep. 2019
Verb
Because of, sort of, the sixth sense in the pocket, the decision-making, processing information quickly.
—Mike Rodak | Mrodak@al.com, al, 11 Apr. 2023
Under the plan, companies licensed to grow, process and sell medical cannabis will be eligible to receive licenses to participate in the recreational market by paying a one-time conversion fee of between $100,000 and $2 million, based on their 2022 sales.
—Erin Cox, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2023
The Securitas cash depot was a squat, fortress-like building in Kent, England, where millions of pounds were processed for various banks.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2023
And that becomes the problem because the dream never gets processed.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 9 Apr. 2023
Daniel Sumner, the director of the University of California Agricultural Issues Lab, said that processed tomato prices have already been high thanks to global supply issues and record drought in California.
—Cara Korte, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2023
Militant fighters were posted outside to maintain order while coalition troops processed those seeking entry.
—Dan Lamothe and Karen Deyoung, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Apr. 2023
As that product — a can of caviar, say, or a batch of coffee — moves through the supply chain, its digital twin gets encoded with information about how it has been transported and processed, providing a transparent log for companies and consumers.
—Ana Swanson, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2023
Yes, colored glass can be recycled when it is processed with glass that all has the same color.
—Maria Marabito, Treehugger, 6 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'process.' 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
Noun
Middle English proces, from Anglo-French procés, from Latin processus, from procedere
Verb (2)
back-formation from procession entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1814, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of process was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing process
Dictionary Entries Near process
Cite this Entry
“Process.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/process. Accessed 12 Mar. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
1
a
: advance entry 2 sense 1
the process of time
b
: something going on
2
a
: a natural continuing action or series of actions or changes
the process of growth
life processes
mental processes
b
: a series of actions or operations leading to a result
a manufacturing process
3
: the carrying on of a legal action
due process of law
4
: a bodily part that sticks out or is conspicuous : outgrowth
a bony process
process
2 of 2 verb1
: to change or prepare by special treatment
process foods
2
a
: to take care of according to a routine
process people looking for a job
process insurance claims
b
: to take in and organize for use in a variety of ways
computers process data
process information
Medical Definition
1
a
: a natural progressively continuing operation or development marked by a series of gradual changes that succeed one another in a relatively fixed way and lead toward a particular result or end
the process of growth
the process of digestion
b
: a natural continuing activity or function
such life processes as breathing and the circulation of the blood
2
: a prominent or projecting part of an organism or organic structure
a bone process
a nerve cell process
Legal Definition
process
noun
pro·cess
ˈprä-ˌses, ˈprō-
1
: a continuous operation, art, or method especially in manufacture
whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process…may obtain a patent therefor—U.S. Code
U.S. Code2
a
: procedure sense 1 see also abuse of process, due process
b
: a means (as a summons) used to compel a defendant to appear in court
broadly
: a means by which a court acquires or exercises jurisdiction over a person or property see also mesne process compare notice, service
Note: In civil procedure, service of a summons on a defendant is considered constitutionally sufficient process, although usually a copy of the complaint must also be provided according to the local rule of procedure.
More from Merriam-Webster on process
Nglish: Translation of process for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of process for Arabic Speakers
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