Follow vs. Proceed — What's the Difference?

Go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead); move or travel behind

Begin a course of action

Come after in time or order

Move forward

Act according to (an instruction or precept)

Originate from

Pay close attention to

To go forward or onward, especially after an interruption; continue

Practise (a trade or profession).

To begin to carry on an action or a process

To come or go after; proceed behind

To move on in an orderly manner

To go after in pursuit

To come from a source; originate or issue

To keep under surveillance

(intransitive) To move, pass, or go forward or onward; to advance; to carry on

To move along the course of; take

(intransitive) To pass from one point, topic, or stage, to another.

To move in the direction of; be guided by

(intransitive) To come from; to have as its source or origin.

To lie in the same path as

(intransitive) To go on in an orderly or regulated manner; to begin and carry on a series of acts or measures; to act methodically

To be parallel to

(intransitive) To be transacted; to take place; to occur.

To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of

To be applicable or effective; to be valid.

To adhere to; practice

To begin and carry on a legal process.

To take as a model or precedent; imitate

(intransitive) To take an academic degree.

To act in agreement or compliance with; obey

To move, pass, or go forward or onward; to advance; to continue or renew motion begun; as, to proceed on a journey.

To keep to or stick to

To pass from one point, topic, or stage, to another; as, to proceed with a story or argument.

To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.

To issue or come forth as from a source or origin; to come from; as, light proceeds from the sun.

To come after in order, time, or position

To go on in an orderly or regulated manner; to begin and carry on a series of acts or measures; to act by method; to prosecute a design.

To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of

To be transacted; to take place; to occur.

To occur or be evident as a consequence of

To have application or effect; to operate.

To watch or observe closely

To begin and carry on a legal process.

To be attentive to; pay close heed to

See Proceeds.

To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of

Continue with one's activities;

To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand

Move ahead; travel onward in time or space;

To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.

Follow a procedure or take a course;

To occur or be evident as a consequence; result

Follow a certain course;

To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.

Continue a certain state, condition, or activity;

(Games) A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.

(ambitransitive) To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the same path or direction, especially with the intent of catching.

(ambitransitive) To go or come after in a sequence.

(transitive) To carry out (orders, instructions, etc.).

(transitive) To live one's life according to (religion, teachings, etc).

(transitive) To understand, to pay attention to.

(transitive) To watch, to keep track of (reports of) some event or person.

To subscribe to see content from an account on a social media platform.

(ambitransitive) To be a logical consequence of something.

(transitive) To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.

In billiards and similar games, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it.

(social media) The act of following another user's online activity.

To go or come after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend.

To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute.

To accept as authority; to adopt the opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as, to follow good advice.

To copy after; to take as an example.

To succeed in order of time, rank, or office.

To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise.

To watch, as a receding object; to keep the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a course of thought or argument.

To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.

To go or come after; - used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to imitate.

The art or process of following; specif., in some games, as billiards, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it. Also used adjectively; as, follow shot.

To travel behind, go after, come after;

Be later in time;

Come as a logical consequence; follow logically;

Travel along a certain course;

Act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes;

Come after in time, as a result;

Behave in accordance or in agreement with;

Be next;

Choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans;

To bring something about at a later time than;

Imitate in behavior; take as a model;

Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something;

Follow with the eyes or the mind;

Be the successor (of);

Perform an accompaniment to;

Keep informed;

To be the product or result;

Accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of;

Adhere to or practice;

Work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function;

Keep under surveillance;

Follow in or as if in pursuit;

Grasp the meaning;

Keep to;