procession

Etymology

From Middle English processioun, from Old French pourciession, from Latin processio (“a marching forward, an advance, in Late Latin a religious procession”), from procedere, past participle processus (“to move forward, advance, proceed”); see proceed.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɹəˈsɛʃən/
• Hyphenation: pro‧ces‧sion

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

procession (plural processions)

1. The act of progressing or proceeding.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Bishop Pearson to this entry?)

   • Trench

     That the procession of their life might be / More equable, majestic, pure, and free.

2. A group of people or things moving along in an orderly, stately, or solemn manner; a train of persons advancing in order; a retinue.

   a procession of mourners; the Lord Mayor's procession

   • Shakespeare

     the townsmen on procession

3. A number of things happening in sequence (in space or in time).
4. (ecclesiastical, obsolete, in the plural) Litanies said in procession and not kneeling.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Shipley to this entry?)

Verb

procession (third-person singular simple present processions, present participle processioning, simple past and past participle processioned)

1. (intransitive) To take part in a procession
2. (transitive, dated) To honour with a procession.
3. (transitive, law, US, North Carolina and Tennessee) To ascertain, mark, and establish the boundary lines of (lands).
   • Burrill

     To procession the lands of such persons as desire it.

Further reading

• procession in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• procession in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911