procedural

1 of 2

adjective

pro·​ce·​dur·​al prə-ˈsē-jə-rəl How to pronounce procedural (audio)
-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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The order marks an important procedural step toward finalizing the TikTok sale, but the deal is not yet complete. Samantha Waldenberg, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025 Senate rules require 60 affirmative votes on a procedural motion to end debate on the underlying bill in order to proceed to a vote on the funding bill itself. Patrick Eddington, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
Yes, the procedural is kicking off the season with one of the show's reliable leads as one of its victims. Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Sep. 2025 Launching a medical procedural with serialized elements, including a romance, has been a big priority there. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for procedural

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1876, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of procedural was in 1876

Cite this Entry

“Procedural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/procedural. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

procedural

adjective
pro·​ce·​dur·​al prə-ˈsēj-(ə-)rəl How to pronounce procedural (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce procedural (audio)
: of or relating to procedure
sentence reversed as result of procedural error in sentencingNational Law Journal
compare substantive
procedurally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on procedural

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!