postupak

Postupak is a term used in several South Slavic languages to denote a defined sequence of actions aimed at achieving a goal, commonly translated into English as procedure or process. It can refer to a method, a set of steps, or a formal sequence of actions in various contexts.

Etymology and usage are tied to the idea of proceeding. The word derives from the verb postupiti, meaning to proceed or advance, and is widely employed in formal and technical language.

In law and public administration, postupak designates an established sequence of official steps, such as a legal postupak (legal procedure) or an administrative postupak (administrative procedure). In medicine and science, it describes standard operating steps, for example medicinski postupak (medical procedure) or laboratorijski postupak (laboratory procedure). In manufacturing and industry, phrases like postupak proizvodnje (production process) or tehnološki postupak (technological process) are common. In computing and software discussions, postupak can appear as a reference to a subroutine or routine, though many contexts prefer the term procedura.

Cross-language notes: In Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian, postupak is widely used. In Slovenian, the closest equivalent is postopek. Depending on the context, postupak can emphasize either the method or the concrete sequence of steps used to complete a task.

See also: procedural terminology such as procedura, proces, and procedure.