due process

noun

1
: a course of formal proceedings (such as legal proceedings) carried out regularly and in accordance with established rules and principles

called also procedural due process

2
: a judicial requirement that enacted laws may not contain provisions that result in the unfair, arbitrary, or unreasonable treatment of an individual

called also substantive due process

Examples of due process in a Sentence

Due process requires that evidence not be admitted when it is obtained through illegal methods.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Beyond questions of due process, Kelly also challenged the administration's assertion that its actions were based on professional journalistic standards rather than coverage the president dislikes. — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 With dizzying speed and less-than-rigorous due process, all five of the Gheorghiu children—including the youngest, who’s still breastfeeding—are taken away and placed into foster care. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026 The lawsuit accuses the state of fabricating evidence and violating the family’s due process rights. — Ciara McCarthy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026 But a federal judge ruled that the administration failed to provide due process, and ordered that hard passes to dozens of reporters be restored. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for due process

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of due process was in the 15th century

Rhymes for due process

See All Rhymes for due process

Browse Nearby Words

duenna
due process
due stamp
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Due process.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/due%20process. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Legal Definition

due process

noun
1
: a course of formal proceedings (as judicial proceedings) carried out regularly, fairly, and in accordance with established rules and principles

called also procedural due process

2
: a requirement that laws and regulations must be related to a legitimate government interest (as crime prevention) and may not contain provisions that result in the unfair or arbitrary treatment of an individual

called also substantive due process

Note: The guarantee of due process is found in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, which states “no person shall…be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law,” and in the Fourteenth Amendment, which states “nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.” The boundaries of due process are not fixed and are the subject of endless judicial interpretation and decision-making. Fundamental to procedural due process is adequate notice prior to the government's deprivation of one's life, liberty, or property, and an opportunity to be heard and defend one's rights to life, liberty, or property. Substantive due process is a limit on the government's power to enact laws or regulations that affect one's life, liberty, or property rights. It is a safeguard from governmental action that is not related to any legitimate government interest or that is unfair, irrational, or arbitrary in its furtherance of a government interest. The requirement of due process applies to agency actions.

3
: the right to due process
acts that violated due process

More from Merriam-Webster on due process

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about due process

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