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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The mass crossings came in the wake of a recent ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court that authorities cannot summarily deport migrants who arrive by sea without due process. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026 Authorities have not identified a single cause for the sudden surge, though Ceuta officials have pointed to a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that limits the immediate return of migrants who arrive by sea without due process. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026 But Nazira Haji Zada's public defender, Matthew Farley, said the process violates her due process rights. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 31 July 2026 The network’s legal team warned that any FCC sanction over DEI would raise due process concerns, as the policies being challenged were encouraged by the FCC two years ago, when Joe Biden was president and Democrats held a majority on the commission. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 July 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 6 Aug. 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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