procedural

[ pruh-see-jer-uhl ]

adjective

1. of or relating to a procedure or procedures, especially of a court of law, legislative body, or law enforcement agency.

noun

1. police procedural.

Other Words From

• pro·cedur·al·ly adverb
• nonpro·cedur·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of procedural¹

First recorded in 1885–90; procedure + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Obenshain, who was one of several Republicans who raised procedural concerns about the resolution.

From Washington Post

This is a more procedural power jump when compared to the GPU progress, but the new 11th-gen chips should provide some tangible performance upgrades.

From Popular-Science

Republicans, who are in the minority, have said they will insist that the session stick to a technical limit of 30 days, which is usually extended by more than two weeks with a procedural vote.

From Washington Post

The City Council unanimously approved the measure Wednesday, but must vote on it a second time, per procedural rules.

From Voice of San Diego

He is signaling openness to changing the House rules to curtail a minority procedural tool that Republicans have frequently used to divide the majority.

From Washington Post

The House Republican leadership could barely win a procedural vote earlier Thursday afternoon.

From The Daily Beast

(Not one Democrat supported it on the procedural vote earlier Thursday afternoon).

From The Daily Beast

Republicans supported the procedural vote to let the “Democracy for All” amendment proceed to floor debate.

From The Daily Beast

What you remember him from: Elliott played the lead in the military court procedural JAG for 10 seasons on CBS.

From The Daily Beast

He has put his name in history: There was absolute absence of procedural justice in these trials.

From The Daily Beast

Second, there was the mass of rules, in form largely procedural, which was contained in the edicts.

From Project Gutenberg

What Federal procedural requirements apply to suspension or expulsion?

From Project Gutenberg

First: Revising our customs regulations to remove procedural obstacles to profitable trade.

From Project Gutenberg

It might give procedural privileges: trial by combat is excluded, and trial by compurgation is secured and regulated.

From Project Gutenberg

The essential nature of "consideration" in contract is evolving from the procedural requirements for the action of assumpsit.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Procedural

What does procedural mean?

Procedural is used to describe things that involve a specific procedure—a particular way of doing something, especially one that is usually repeated in the same way each time.

The word procedural is especially used in the context of formal, official procedures, such as those used in government and law. A procedural vote is typically one that is simply part of the process to move forward to a full and final vote on a matter. A procedural agreement is a kind of contract that governs how a collective bargaining process will be carried out.

Procedural can also be used as a noun to refer to a procedural drama—work of fiction, especially a TV show, that realistically portrays a kind of professional work. A common type of procedural is a police procedural. The popular show Law & Order is a procedural.

Example: This meeting is solely to deal with procedural matters—the debate on the actual issues will come later.

Where does procedural come from?

The first records of the word procedural come from the late 1800s. Its base word, procedure, comes from the French term procédure, which has the same meaning. It ultimately derives from the Latin verb prōcēdere, which means “to advance” and is also the basis of the verb proceed. The suffix -al is used to form adjectives.

A procedure is a way of proceeding—a way of taking action or completing a task—and procedural is used to describe things that follow procedures or that otherwise involve procedures. The word is typically used in the context of things done as part of a specific series of steps required to complete a process, such as a government vote or a legal proceeding.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to procedural?

• procedurally (adverb)
• procedure (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with procedural?

• procedural agreement
• police procedural
• proceed

What are some words that often get used in discussing procedural?

• protocol
• rules
• vote
• change
• measure
• matter
• action
• process
• routine
• drama
• police
• legal

How is procedural used in real life?

The word procedural often describes things that are done as part of a very specific plan or set of rules. For that reason, it’s often used in serious contexts.

Far too many procedural, ceremonial steps are needed to finalize the Presidential election. I propose a 3 step process:

1) Vote
2) Count Votes
3) Done

— Ron Shillman (@shillman1) January 1, 2021

I think it's worth noting the chair of the county council is not some all powerful legislative wizard. If they lack three other votes, they don't have power to pass anything engendering controversy. They can assign bills to be heard at committee and other procedural matters.

— Jason Rosenbaum (@jrosenbaum) January 5, 2021

GOP senator's support means #ENDA now has 60 votes needed to clear procedural hurdles in Senate http://t.co/m1tOjqUgwE

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 4, 2013

 

 

Try using procedural!

Is procedural used correctly in the following sentence? 

I’m a big fan of procedurals—I like to see how things work behind the scenes.