WordGarden.ioprocession
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /prəsˈɛʃən/
US
- /prəˈsɛʃən/
Meanings
Noun
an orderly line of people or vehicles moving as part of a ceremony, funeral, or public event
a ceremonial line of clergy or worshippers moving as part of religious ritual
a steady succession of people or things appearing one after another
Beyond the definition
Imagine a royal wedding: people move slowly in a planned line, with music, flowers, and a sense that the moment matters. That is the basic idea here. It is more than just a crowd moving around. It suggests order and often some kind of ceremony or public event. It can be large and festive, like a holiday parade, or quiet and serious, like a funeral line. The main idea is that people or things move forward in an arranged way.
A procession is a group of people, vehicles, or sometimes things moving forward in an orderly line, often as part of a ceremony, celebration, or religious event. The movement is usually deliberate and has a clear purpose, even when it is slow.
Historically, processions were strongly connected with religious traditions. You can picture pilgrims traveling to a holy place or priests leading a formal march. Today, they appear in many forms: holiday parades, graduation walks, wedding entrances, and funeral lines.
The word can also be used figuratively. You might speak of a "procession of thoughts" moving through your mind, meaning a series of ideas coming one after another. In the same way, someone might describe "the procession of seasons" as the steady change from one season to the next.
Although the word is often linked with something grand or public, it does not have to be large or elaborate. A small group of monks walking in silence can also fit. The defining feature is the ordered movement forward, often showing a ritual, a public moment, or a transition from one stage to another.
Examples
- 1
Public parade
The procession moved slowly through the streets.
- 2
Funeral ceremony
We waited quietly as the funeral procession passed.
- 3
Ordered line
After the ceremony, the children left the hall in procession.
- Phrasein procession
moving together in an ordered line
- 4
Long series
All morning, a procession of customers came in to ask about the sale.
- Patterna procession of + people/things
a long series of them
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- processionnoun
Forms
- processionspluralnoun