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Definition of "proceed" []

  • To go forward or onward, especially after an interruption; continue: proceeded to his destination; paused to clear her throat, then proceeded. (verb-intransitive)
  • To begin to carry on an action or a process: looked surprised, then proceeded to roar with laughter. (verb-intransitive)
  • To move on in an orderly manner: Business proceeded as usual. (verb-intransitive)
  • To come from a source; originate or issue: behavior proceeding from hidden motives. See Synonyms at stem1. (verb-intransitive)
  • Law To institute and conduct legal action: proceeded against the defaulting debtor. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "proceed" in a sentence
  • "No doubt the right way to proceed is to think of circumstances in which the two models give widely different predictions and to look around for real-life situations that offer the opportunity to discriminate between them."
  • "One way to proceed is to engage in an intergenerational dialogue with other teachers, a space for problem posing and problem solving, historical and theoretical considerations, storytelling and critical reflection."
  • "People like you have dug such a deep hole for us, that the only way for Obama to proceed is to put the Orion on a Delta IV Heavy, or cancel it altogether."