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proceed

/prəˈsiːd//prəˈsiːd/·verb
to go on, especially after a pause; to carry on with a course of action
Fig. 1 — A column of ants comes on along a branch and does not stop.
01Definition

To proceed is to go forward — most often to carry on after a pause, a hesitation, or an interruption. A delayed ferry proceeds; a court case proceeds; once the paperwork is signed, building can proceed. It comes from Latin procedere, 'pro-' (forward) plus 'cedere' (to go) — the same 'cedere' buried inside precede, where 'prae-' means 'before'. So the two are siblings split only by a prefix: to precede is to go ahead of something in order, while to proceed is to keep going onward. It can also mean to begin and follow through, as in 'she proceeded to explain'.

02In use
  • iOnce the storm began to abate, the harbour reopened and the ferries were cleared to proceed.
  • iiShe paused for a moment, then proceeded to outline the next phase of the research.
  • iiiThe judge ruled that the trial could proceed despite the missing witness.
03Collocations
  • proceed with caution
  • proceed as planned
  • proceed to do something
  • before we proceed
  • let the matter proceed

Family procedure (noun) · proceedings (plural noun) · procedural (adjective)

04Relations

=continue, advance, carry on, go ahead, progress

≠halt, stop, discontinue

05Compared
PairThe difference
proceed vs precedewhat comes first precedes; what keeps going proceeds. Spelling: -cede versus -ceed.
06TOEFL & IELTS

A formal verb for processes and instructions ('proceed to the next step', 'proceed with the plan'); in TOEFL lectures it signals that a process carries on. The classic trap is the split with precede — proceed means to go forward, precede means to go before — one prefix apart and easy to misread under time pressure. Note also the noun 'proceeds' (/ˈproʊsiːdz/), meaning money raised, which is a different word entirely.

07Asked
Why is the money from a sale called 'proceeds'?
Because it is what proceeds — comes forth — from the transaction: the sum that walks out of the event. The word is plural-only (the proceeds are, never 'a proceed'), takes from ('proceeds from the auction'), and divides into gross and net. Pronunciation shifts with the job: the verb is pro-CEED, the money is PRO-ceeds, stress up front.
Is proceed related to precede?
Siblings split by a prefix — pro- goes onward, prae- goes before — and mixing them is the classic exam slip; the full untangling is on the precede vs proceed page in the 'Compared' list above.
What is the difference between procedure and proceedings?
A procedure is the method — the fixed series of steps for doing something: a safety procedure, a medical procedure. Proceedings are events unfolding officially — what happened, especially in law: court proceedings, divorce proceedings; also a conference's published proceedings. One is a recipe, the other a record. Both descend from proceed, and neither substitutes for the other.
What does 'proceeded to' mean in a story?
It stages the next act, often with a raised eyebrow: 'she thanked the panel, then proceeded to demolish their report' — the verb promises deliberateness, sometimes audacity. This narrative use needs the to-infinitive and a beat of pause before it. Without the eyebrow it is simple formal motion: the minister proceeded to the podium — movement toward a place, a different frame.
How do you use proceed in a sentence?
Give it a pause to push past or a plan to carry out: the trial proceeded despite the missing witness; we will proceed as planned; proceed with caution. It is formal — everyday speech says go on or carry on — which is why signage and pilots love it. The scene above distils the verb: the marching column refuses to stop at the gap, makes a road of itself, and continues.