procedural

1 of 2

adjective

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

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

Adjective

Senate Republicans rebelled late Monday night, dragging out the floor process by forcing Democrats to hold time-consuming votes on procedural motions that are usually routine and otherwise mundane. —Mariam Khan, ABC News, 19 Nov. 2024

When the Senate convened for votes Monday, Republicans used procedural maneuvers to drag out the floor proceedings, slowing Democrats' efforts to confirm Mr. Biden's judicial picks. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2024

Noun

Prior to her contributions to the galaxy, Taylor wrote and produced episodes of popular network procedurals like Quincy, Magnum, P.I., Jake and the Fatman and In the Heat of the Night. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2024

This is really no surprise: CBS is chock-full of law-enforcement procedurals. —Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1876, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1963, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing procedural

• police procedural
• procedural due process
• procedural face mask
• procedural mask

Medical 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

procedurally adverb