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
: 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
Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
The House on Friday cleared a key procedural hurdle in passing foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, despite dozens of Republican defections, with Democrats helping Speaker Mike Johnson avoid a stinging defeat.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024
At the center of the procedural fight is the U.S.-Mexico border and the people who have crossed it in record numbers.
—Deirdre Walsh, NPR, 17 Apr. 2024
In the election interference cases, lawyers for Mr. Trump and other defendants have generally not disputed the evidence, choosing instead to challenge the investigations on free speech, immunity or procedural grounds.
—Danny Hakim, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Taylor Wilson: And were any other procedural motions tackled throughout the day in court?
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
Now, in its 21st season, the procedural had its first spinoff in 2009 with the premiere of its Los Angeles counterpart, and a New Orleans offshoot followed in 2014 before Hawai'i joined the fold in 2021.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
The final Senate tally was 19-14, though one senator changed his yes vote at the last minute to use a procedural maneuver to keep the legislation alive.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The European Court of Human Rights rejected two other, similar cases on procedural grounds — a high-profile one brought by Portuguese young people and another by a French mayor that sought to force governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
—Molly Quell, Fortune Europe, 10 Apr. 2024
Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
Ditto 2016’s Shin Godzilla, which took a hard left turn and ended up delivering a sort of kaiju procedural.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024
The familiarity of the format makes procedurals easy to watch — even if the stories themselves are often dark and anxiety-inducing.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 1 Feb. 2024
There are dramas and procedurals, sci-fi galore, and enough historical epics to keep you occupied well into summer.
—Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Audiences still showed up for the networks’ talent shows and procedurals, but the entertainment Zeitgeist was drifting away from traditional prime time.
—Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
The stories can be predictable, which is in itself predictable, or a little silly, not unusual among episodic procedurals, and perfectly acceptable.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
After more than 400 episodes on Law & Order, the actor behind Manhattan District Attorney Jack McCoy said farewell to the legal procedural on Thursday's episode.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024
Katherine Waterston Says Dad Sam Waterston's Passion for Acting Inspired Her to Follow in His Footsteps
Waterston, 83, portrayed iconic District Attorney Jack McCoy from the NBC procedural's fifths season in 1994 through its initial cancellation in 2010.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 2 Feb. 2024
Adjective
As with many such disputes, this one morphed from a substantive argument into a procedural one.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
The House on Friday cleared a key procedural hurdle in passing foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, despite dozens of Republican defections, with Democrats helping Speaker Mike Johnson avoid a stinging defeat.
—Lauren Peller, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024
At the center of the procedural fight is the U.S.-Mexico border and the people who have crossed it in record numbers.
—Deirdre Walsh, NPR, 17 Apr. 2024
In the election interference cases, lawyers for Mr. Trump and other defendants have generally not disputed the evidence, choosing instead to challenge the investigations on free speech, immunity or procedural grounds.
—Danny Hakim, New York Times, 17 Apr. 2024
Taylor Wilson: And were any other procedural motions tackled throughout the day in court?
—Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024
Now, in its 21st season, the procedural had its first spinoff in 2009 with the premiere of its Los Angeles counterpart, and a New Orleans offshoot followed in 2014 before Hawai'i joined the fold in 2021.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 14 Apr. 2024
The final Senate tally was 19-14, though one senator changed his yes vote at the last minute to use a procedural maneuver to keep the legislation alive.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
The European Court of Human Rights rejected two other, similar cases on procedural grounds — a high-profile one brought by Portuguese young people and another by a French mayor that sought to force governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
—Molly Quell, Fortune Europe, 10 Apr. 2024
Noun
The crime procedural’s second season has capably anchored ABC’s Tuesday night lineup this spring, showing sizable ratings growth compared to its inaugural run last year.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
Ditto 2016’s Shin Godzilla, which took a hard left turn and ended up delivering a sort of kaiju procedural.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024
The familiarity of the format makes procedurals easy to watch — even if the stories themselves are often dark and anxiety-inducing.
—Emily Longeretta, Variety, 1 Feb. 2024
There are dramas and procedurals, sci-fi galore, and enough historical epics to keep you occupied well into summer.
—Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Audiences still showed up for the networks’ talent shows and procedurals, but the entertainment Zeitgeist was drifting away from traditional prime time.
—Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
The stories can be predictable, which is in itself predictable, or a little silly, not unusual among episodic procedurals, and perfectly acceptable.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
After more than 400 episodes on Law & Order, the actor behind Manhattan District Attorney Jack McCoy said farewell to the legal procedural on Thursday's episode.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 22 Feb. 2024
Katherine Waterston Says Dad Sam Waterston's Passion for Acting Inspired Her to Follow in His Footsteps
Waterston, 83, portrayed iconic District Attorney Jack McCoy from the NBC procedural's fifths season in 1994 through its initial cancellation in 2010.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 2 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'procedural.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near procedural
Cite this Entry
“Procedural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/procedural. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical 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
National Law Journal
procedurally
adverb
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