What does "procedural" mean?
A type of literature, film, or television program involving a sequence of technical detail.
Procedural
/pɹəˈsiːd͡ʒ(ə)ɹəl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A type of literature, film, or television program involving a sequence of technical detail.
- Grammar: procedural is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: action related, adjective, administrative, administrative act.
- Useful contrasts: conceptual approach, conceptual description, conceptual model approach.
- Usage evidence: This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
How to use "procedural"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "procedural" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "procedural" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "procedural" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "procedural" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "procedural" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "action related" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "procedural", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A type of literature, film, or television program involving a sequence of technical detail.
"It is only fitting that the investigation of place-based police procedurals begins in America, where the police procedural was invented and turned into a literary art form."
- 2 Ellipsis of police procedural. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, specifically
"The Wire, however, did not kill the procedural. The procedural simply borrowed The Wire’s aesthetic. The detectives may trudge sombrely from one improbable homicide scene to another, week in, week out, as the blue lights circle bleakly, but we, the viewers, sink gleefully into our sofas ready to drink it in like cocoa."
Adjective
- 1 Related to procedure.
"The judge dismissed the case on procedural grounds: it wasn't the facts or the law, but just that they hadn't filed the correct forms."
- 2 Generated by means of a procedure, rather than being designed.
"a procedural texture"
Adjective
- 1 relating to court practice and procedure as opposed to the principles of law wordnet
- 2 of or relating to procedure wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
conceptual approachconceptual descriptionconceptual model approachconceptual physics
Example
"This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "procedural"?
Common synonyms include: action related, adjective, administrative, administrative act, administrative action, administrative capacity.
How do you use "procedural" in a sentence?
This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
How do you pronounce "procedural"?
Pronounced /pɹəˈsiːd͡ʒ(ə)ɹəl/.
Etymology
From procedure + -al.