The word 过程 is formed by combining two characters, each contributing a core idea to create a new, unified concept. The first character, 过 (guò), carries the fundamental meaning of "to pass" or "to cross", implying movement through time or space. The second character, 程 (chéng), means a "journey", "stage", or "measured distance". When placed together, they conceptually merge to depict a "passing-through of stages" or a "measured passage", effectively forming the abstract notion of a "process" or "course of events" from a beginning to an end.