proceeding

Proceeding refers to any method by which the authority of a court, tribunal, or administrative agency is invoked. The term broadly encompasses all procedural steps or means of seeking judicial or administrative relief, including individual motions, hearings, or stages within a larger legal action. In its broadest sense, a proceeding includes the regular progression of a lawsuit or the conduct of any formal legal process from initiation to resolution.

[Last reviewed in November of 2025 by the Wex Definitions Team]

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