Process — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈprä-ˌses/ (noun) /prə-ˈses/ (verb) pro·cess

Meaning & Definition of Process

Process (noun)

  1. a series of actions that produce something or that lead to a particular result
  2. a series of actions, happenings, etc., going on, proceeding
  3. a series of changes that happen naturally

Process (verb)

  1. to subject to a special process or treatment (as in the course of manufacture or film development)
  2. to subject to or handle through an established usually routine set of procedures
  3. to integrate sensory information received so that an action or response is generated
  4. to move in a procession

Process (adjective)

  1. treated or made by a special process especially when involving synthesis or artificial modification
  2. made by or used in a mechanical or photomechanical duplicating process
  3. of or involving illusory effects usually introduced during processing of the film

Process (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a usually fixed or ordered series of actions or events leading to a result

    "the process by which the elastic fibers spun by silkworms is turned into soft, lustrous cloth"

    similar: course, operation, procedure, proceeding
    related: drill, routine, fashion, form, manner, method, mode, style, system, technique, way, approach, arrangement, blueprint, design, formula, game plan, ground plan, layout, plan, plot, program, project, recipe, scheme, strategy, accomplishment, achievement, attainment, enterprise, performance, undertaking, work, activity, functioning, movement

  2. forward movement in time or place

    "in the process of doing this project we all learned a lot"

    similar: advance, advancement, furtherance, going, headway, march, onrush, passage, procession, progress, progression
    related: current, drift, flow, flux, stream, way, advent, approach, arrival, coming, nearing, bound, jump, leap, step, stride, impetus, momentum
    opposite: recess, recession, regress, regression, retreat, retrogression
    near: backwash, ebb, reflux, retraction, return, reversal, reverse, about-face, turnabout, turnaround

  3. a written notice ordering a person to appear in court

    "the prosecutor arranged for a process for her appearance to be issued"

    similar: subpoena, summons
    related: capias, warrant, writ, ticket

Process (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in manufactured, cultured

    similar: cultured, manufactured, artificial, bogus, dummy, ersatz, factitious, fake, false, faux, imitation, imitative, man-made, mimic, mock, pretend, sham, simulated, substitute, synthetic, unauthentic, adulterated, designer, doctored, engineered, fudged, juggled, manipulated, tampered (with), concocted, fabricated, counterfeit, deceptive, forged, fraudulent, misleading, phony, affected, brummagem, feigned, pinchbeck, pseudo, spurious
    opposite: genuine, natural, real, authentic, bona fide, legitimate, true, premium, quality, valuable, pure, unadulterated

Process (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in refine, rectify

    similar: rectify, refine, clarify, clear, distill, filter, fine, garble, purify, clean, cleanse, decontaminate, elutriate, purge, wash, extract, leach, bolt, screen, sieve, sift, disinfect, sanitize
    opposite: cloud, dull, muddy, contaminate, dirty, soil, defile, pollute, taint, begrime, besmirch, foul, sully

  2. as in reprocess

    similar: reprocess, reuse, reclaim, recover, recycle

Related Entry: Conk (noun)

Conk is a different word from Process. The synonyms below are for conk, not for process.

  1. the part of the face bearing the nostrils and nasal cavity

    "a feisty cockney who had got his conk broken more than once in street brawls"

    similar: beak, honker (slang), neb, nose, nozzle (slang), proboscis, schnoz (slang), schnozzle (slang), smeller, snoot, snout
    related: pug, pugnose

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Process

The most common words with a similar meaning to Process:

course, operation, procedure, proceeding, advance, advancement, furtherance, going, headway, march, onrush, passage, procession, progress, progression, subpoena, summons, cultured, manufactured, artificial, bogus, dummy, ersatz, factitious, fake, false, faux, imitation, imitative, man-made, mimic, mock, pretend, sham, simulated, substitute, synthetic, unauthentic, adulterated, designer

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Process

Words with the opposite meaning of Process:

recess, recession, regress, regression, retreat, retrogression, genuine, natural, real, authentic, bona fide, legitimate, true, premium, quality, valuable, pure, unadulterated, cloud, dull, muddy, contaminate, dirty, soil, defile, pollute, taint, begrime, besmirch, foul

Related Words for Process

drill, routine, fashion, form, manner, method, mode, style, system, technique, way, approach, arrangement, blueprint, design, formula, game plan, ground plan, layout, plan, plot, program, project, recipe, scheme, strategy, accomplishment, achievement, attainment, enterprise

Near Antonyms of Process

backwash, ebb, reflux, retraction, return, reversal, reverse, about-face, turnabout, turnaround

Word Forms of Process

Inflections: processes, processed, processing

Origin & Etymology of Process

Middle English proces, from Anglo-French procés, from Latin processus, from procedere

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Process

Words & Phrases Containing Process

process of elimination, alveolar process, Bessemer process

Frequently Asked Questions about Process

What does "Process" mean?

"Process" means a series of actions that produce something or that lead to a particular result. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a series of actions that produce something or that lead to a particular result. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Process"?

Other words for "Process" include course, operation, procedure, proceeding, advance, advancement, furtherance and going. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Process" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Process"?

There are 144 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Process". Common alternatives include course, operation, procedure, proceeding, advance, advancement, furtherance, going, headway and march.

What is the opposite of "Process"?

Antonyms of "Process" include recess, recession, regress, regression, retreat, retrogression, genuine and natural. Near antonyms include backwash, ebb, reflux and retraction.

How do you use "Process" in a sentence?

Examples of "Process" in a sentence: "the process by which the elastic fibers spun by silkworms is turned into soft, lustrous cloth"; "in the process of doing this project we all learned a lot"; "the prosecutor arranged for a process for her appearance to be issued".

Is "Process" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Process" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Process" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Process" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Process"?

"Process" is pronounced /ˈprä-ˌses/ as a noun and /prə-ˈses/ as a verb and divided into syllables as pro·cess.