热力学过程的定义是一个热力学系统由开始到完结的状态中所涉及的能量转变。在过程中，路径会因为受到某一些热力学的变量要保持常数而变得指定，以下将以共轭对来对热力学过程进行解说，因为当其中一个变量设为常数时，刚好是另一个的共轭对。

首先，压力和容量是其中一个共轭对。因为两者都涉及以发送机械能或动能形式的作功。

数学上，δQ = dU。这个系统可以说上动能上被一个固定的空间从外围所隔绝。

另一组的共轭对是温度和熵。皆因两者都有透过加热来发送热能。

任何热力学势都可能在过程中保持常数， 例如：在一个等焓过程中，焓保持不变。

Classical thermodynamics considers three main kinds of thermodynamic process: change in a system, cycles in a system, and flow processes.

Defined by change in a system , a thermodynamic process is a passage of a thermodynamic system from an initial to a final state of thermodynamic equilibrium. The initial and final states are the defining elements of the process. The actual course of the process is not the primary concern, and often is ignored. This is the customary default meaning of the term 'thermodynamic process'. In general, during the actual course of a thermodynamic process, the system passes through physical states which are not describable as thermodynamic states, because they are far from internal thermodynamic equilibrium. Such processes are useful for thermodynamic theory.