Meaning & use
procession line
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Meanings
nouncountable
a row of people or vehicles moving slowly forward as part of a ceremony or event
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'in a' or 'form a': they stood in a procession line.
Patterns
- in a procession line
- form a procession line
- a long procession line
The graduates formed a procession line outside the hall.
We watched the procession line of cars move slowly through the town.
A procession line of children carried flowers to the stage.
nounsingular
the order or sequence in which people walk in a formal group
Grammar: Usually singular with 'the'; refers to the arrangement rather than the physical row.
Patterns
- at the front of the procession line
- at the back of the procession line
The oldest guests were placed at the front of the procession line.
She stood at the back of the procession line so she could see everyone.
The teacher arranged the procession line by height.
Word forms
| plural | procession lines |
|---|
Common combinations
- form a procession line
- The students formed a procession line before entering the church.
- in a procession line
- They walked in a procession line down the aisle.
- long procession line
- A long procession line stretched around the corner.
- head of the procession line
- The mayor walked at the head of the procession line.
Synonyms and how they differ
- procession
- More common and formal; it means the whole event or group, not just the row.
- queue
- Used for people waiting for a service, not for a ceremony; 'queue' is British.
- line
- General and neutral; 'procession line' adds the idea of a ceremony or slow movement.
Word family
- processional adjective
- Relating to a procession, as in processional music.
- process verb
- To walk slowly in a formal group.
Commonly confused: procession line or production line?
procession line vs production line
A production line is in a factory; a procession line is a row of people or vehicles in a ceremony.
Practice
The wedding guests stood in a ______ as they waited to enter the hall.
Choose one answer.
'Procession line' fits a formal row of people moving in a ceremony. 'Production line' is a factory term, 'queue line' is not standard, and 'line up' is a verb phrase, not a noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “procession line”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.