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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
especially
: police procedural
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Elizabeth Findell, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2022
Republican thought differs from that of procedural liberalism (and, perhaps, of the whole liberal tradition) in its conception of the economy.
Win Mccormack, The New Republic, 23 Nov. 2022
The big majorities give Republicans unchecked authority with the ability to stop Democrats from using administrative and procedural rules to slow down the legislative process.
Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2022
This procedural series examines the tragic killings of college students, exploring how the cases are handled and highlighting the stories of the victims’ family members and friends.
Olivia Mccormack, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2022
On November 17, the procedural law enforcement series shared an emotional teaser for the fall finale of season 24, which airs on December 8 and will mark actor Kelli Giddish's final appearance as a series regular after 12 seasons.
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 18 Nov. 2022
The sentencing hearing in San Jose, California, began shortly after 10 a.m. Pacific Time and was ongoing as the clock approached noon — an unusually long time for what is typically a fairly procedural hearing.
Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2022
The Transportation Security Administration said there was a procedural failure as Liebisch was screened.
Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 18 Nov. 2022
What the movie does to humanize both these women — and their skittish, often terrified witnesses — feels more fully realized than the procedural bits, which often tend to come off like a broad discourse on How Journalism Works.
Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 18 Nov. 2022
Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 24 Nov. 2022
The film — based on their book of the same title — is sensible, dutiful and, thanks to key performances, more engaging than the average newsroom procedural.
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Oct. 2022
To be a network police or medical procedural in the past decade is to want for a companion series.
Joshua Alston, Variety, 26 Sep. 2022
From Seven Bochco and David Milch, this crime procedural distinguished itself by aiming for grittiness and realism, including nudity, off-color language, and difficult subject matter.
Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2022
Director Maria Schrader's procedural, starring Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan, is one of the notable premieres at this year's festival.
CBS News, 14 Oct. 2022
So overwhelming is the Bode-ness of it all that Fire Country leaves little oxygen for anything or anyone else, flattening what could have been a smarter, more interesting procedural.
Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2022
Directed by Diego Palacio, chief creative officer at Argentina’s Storylab, produced by Storylab for Flow, a procedural sparked by the disappearance of a student at an exclusive college on the coast.
John Hopewell, Variety, 27 Sep. 2022
The 70-year-old actor said goodbye to the procedural in the fourth episode of season 19 when his character Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs decided to stay in Alaska indefinitely after solving a case.
Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 11 Aug. 2022
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Adjective
At a procedural hearing last week, none of the prosecutors working on the Walmart shooting case, including Ms. Rosales, was present, which drew a confused reaction from the judge.
Elizabeth Findell, WSJ, 23 Nov. 2022
Republican thought differs from that of procedural liberalism (and, perhaps, of the whole liberal tradition) in its conception of the economy.
Win Mccormack, The New Republic, 23 Nov. 2022
The big majorities give Republicans unchecked authority with the ability to stop Democrats from using administrative and procedural rules to slow down the legislative process.
Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2022
This procedural series examines the tragic killings of college students, exploring how the cases are handled and highlighting the stories of the victims’ family members and friends.
Olivia Mccormack, Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2022
On November 17, the procedural law enforcement series shared an emotional teaser for the fall finale of season 24, which airs on December 8 and will mark actor Kelli Giddish's final appearance as a series regular after 12 seasons.
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 18 Nov. 2022
The sentencing hearing in San Jose, California, began shortly after 10 a.m. Pacific Time and was ongoing as the clock approached noon — an unusually long time for what is typically a fairly procedural hearing.
Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2022
The Transportation Security Administration said there was a procedural failure as Liebisch was screened.
Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 18 Nov. 2022
What the movie does to humanize both these women — and their skittish, often terrified witnesses — feels more fully realized than the procedural bits, which often tend to come off like a broad discourse on How Journalism Works.
Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 18 Nov. 2022
Noun
Many of the fan-favorite characters have reunited for this new iteration of the procedural.
Katie Bowlby, Country Living, 24 Nov. 2022
The film — based on their book of the same title — is sensible, dutiful and, thanks to key performances, more engaging than the average newsroom procedural.
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Oct. 2022
To be a network police or medical procedural in the past decade is to want for a companion series.
Joshua Alston, Variety, 26 Sep. 2022
From Seven Bochco and David Milch, this crime procedural distinguished itself by aiming for grittiness and realism, including nudity, off-color language, and difficult subject matter.
Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Oct. 2022
Director Maria Schrader's procedural, starring Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan, is one of the notable premieres at this year's festival.
CBS News, 14 Oct. 2022
So overwhelming is the Bode-ness of it all that Fire Country leaves little oxygen for anything or anyone else, flattening what could have been a smarter, more interesting procedural.
Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2022
Directed by Diego Palacio, chief creative officer at Argentina’s Storylab, produced by Storylab for Flow, a procedural sparked by the disappearance of a student at an exclusive college on the coast.
John Hopewell, Variety, 27 Sep. 2022
The 70-year-old actor said goodbye to the procedural in the fourth episode of season 19 when his character Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs decided to stay in Alaska indefinitely after solving a case.
Stephanie Wenger, Peoplemag, 11 Aug. 2022
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'procedural.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Phrases Containing procedural
Dictionary Entries Near procedural
Cite this Entry
“Procedural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/procedural. Accessed 7 Dec. 2022.
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
compare substantive
procedurally
adverb
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