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proceeds

Etymology and origin of the English word proceeds

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Derivation
First attested
1665
Ultimate origin
English (proceed)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈpɹoʊsidz/; /ˈpɹəʊsiːdz/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is the plural of the obsolete noun proceed, that which proceeds from something, outcome, profit (1643),[2][3][4] from the verb proceed.[2][3][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Money obtained from a transaction: 1665, in Pepys's diary.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

The singular proceed is from the 1640s,[3][2] and an earlier meaning of the noun, the act or manner of proceeding, procedure, is from 1628.[2][4] The sense rests on the idea of what proceeds or comes from a possession or transaction.[3]

Timeline

  • 1628 – a proceeding.[2]
  • 1643 – proceed, a profit.[2]
  • 1665 – proceeds.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The money or profit obtained from a sale, transaction or undertaking.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
Cite this entry

“Proceeds.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/proceeds. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·