process

1 of 4

noun

pro·​cess ˈprä-ˌses How to pronounce process (audio)
ˈprō-,
-səs How to pronounce process (audio)
plural processes ˈprä-ˌse-səz How to pronounce process (audio)
ˈprō-,
-sə-,
-ˌsēz How to pronounce process (audio)
1
a
: progress, advance
in the process of time
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

process

2 of 4

verb (1)

processed; processing; processes

transitive verb

1
a
: to proceed against by law : prosecute
b(1)
: to take out a summons against
(2)
: to serve a summons on
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

process

3 of 4

adjective

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

process

4 of 4

verb (2)

pro·​cess prə-ˈses How to pronounce process (audio)
processed; processing; processes

intransitive verb

chiefly British
: to move in a procession

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
Noun
According to the Associated Press, Nashville chancery court judge Russell Perkins has temporarily blocked the sale to allow other legal matters and an ongoing arbitration process to play out. Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 25 Nov. 2023 The development process to build a new, permanent location for the church has been under the leadership of the Rev. Yurii Sas, who has served as the parish administrator since 2018. Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2023 As for the church in Brooklyn, the diocese said a more thorough investigation will be made into the approval process in the coming weeks. Stefano Montali, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2023 Invest in a new tilt-head stand mixer from KitchenAid that helps streamline the cooking and baking process or a Ninja Foodi Slow Cooker for effortless meals that require minimal effort. Ali Faccenda, Peoplemag, 25 Nov. 2023 For King, seeing the way Sloane and Zott’s stories intertwined was a realization of Eisenberg’s promise to her during the casting process. Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Nov. 2023 As a condition of the parole process, Pistorius met with Steenkamp’s father, Barry, in June 2022. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 24 Nov. 2023 Families will be designated social workers to guide them through this process, said Sarit Sarfatti, deputy head of child protection social workers at Israel’s Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs. Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023 The gas is commonly produced by burning fossil fuels at power plants and other industrial processes, the EPA says. CBS News, 23 Nov. 2023
Verb
Alcohol intolerance is primarily a genetic issue linked to how our bodies process and break down the toxins in alcohol. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 25 Nov. 2023 Keep processing to your taste, pulsing less for a coarse pesto, more for a smooth one. The View, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2023 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) bundled many flap reconstructions covered by insurance under one CPT code, which is used for administrative purposes like processing insurance claims. Paige Stables, Allure, 22 Nov. 2023 In the third phase, all of the skeletons except the horses show signs of having been processed for food. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Nov. 2023 Keep in Mind It’s made in a facility that processes peanuts and tree nuts. Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Nov. 2023 The Mediterranean diet is defined by high consumption of olive oil, fish, breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, beans, and seeds; moderate amounts of dairy products, poultry, and alcohol; and small amounts of red and processed meat and sweets. Lauren Manaker Ms, Rdn, Ld, Clec, Verywell Health, 17 Nov. 2023 The machine’s limited responses, which are processed locally in a person’s home, keep its energy demands quite low. Yessenia Funes, The Verge, 17 Nov. 2023 At the same time, Biden emphasized that the two countries are competitors, and the United States had held the line throughout the APEC summit that the export controls over chips that are essential to processing AI are not going anywhere. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
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 See More

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

Dictionary Entries Near process

Cite this Entry

“Process.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/process. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

process

1 of 2 noun
pro·​cess ˈpräs-ˌes How to pronounce process (audio) ˈprōs- How to pronounce process (audio)
-əs
plural processes -ˌes-əz How to pronounce process (audio) -ə-səz How to pronounce process (audio)
-ə-ˌsēz
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 verb
1
: 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

process

noun
pro·​cess ˈpräs-ˌes How to pronounce process (audio) ˈprōs- How to pronounce process (audio)
-əs
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
1
: a continuous operation, art, or method especially in manufacture
whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process…may obtain a patent thereforU.S. Code
2
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

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