occasion

American  

[uh-key-zhuhn] / əˈkeɪ ʒən /

noun

1. a particular time, especially as marked by certain circumstances or occurrences.

   They met on three occasions.

2. a special or important time, event, ceremony, celebration, etc..

   His birthday will be quite an occasion.

3. a convenient or favorable time, opportunity, or juncture.

   This slack period would be a good occasion to take inventory.

   Synonyms:

   opening, chance

4. the immediate or incidental cause or reason for some action or result.

   What is the occasion for this uproar?

   Synonyms:

   influence, inducement, motive

5. (in the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead) the coincidence of the eternal objects forming a specific point-event.

6. Obsolete. occasions,

   1. needs or necessities.

   2. necessary business matters.

      to go about one's lawful occasions.

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verb (used with object)

1. to give occasion or cause for; bring about.

   Synonyms:

   create, produce, originate, motivate

idioms

1. on occasion, now and then; from time to time; occasionally.

   She visits New York on occasion.

occasion British  

/ əˈkeɪʒən /

noun

1. (sometimes foll by of) the time of a particular happening or event

2. (sometimes foll by for) a reason or cause (to do or be something); grounds

   there was no occasion to complain

3. an opportunity (to do something); chance

4. a special event, time, or celebration

   the party was quite an occasion

5. every so often

6. to have the courage, wit, etc, to meet the special demands of a situation

7. to avail oneself of an opportunity (to do something)

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verb

1. (tr) to bring about, esp incidentally or by chance

occasion More Idioms  

1. see on occasion; rise to the occasion.

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Related Words

See cause.

Other Word Forms

• preoccasioned adjective

Etymology

Origin of occasion

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English occasioun, from Old French occasion, from Latin occāsiōn-, stem of occāsiō, literally, “a falling out,” from occās(us) “fallen down” (past participle of occidere “to fall down, set,” from oc- oc- + -cidere, combining form of cadere “to fall”) + -iō -ion

Explanation

Occasion means something special––that happens seldom or is notable when it does. On occasion, we sit down together as a family, but not every day, and never for dinner. When Great Aunt Mabel visits, however, we rise to the occasion and stage a large family meal. Occasion can also mean a designated time or reason something happens, or it can be an event in itself. I'm giving you your grandmother's ring on the occasion of your graduation from high school. I haven't had occasion to look at it since she died. It's valuable, so only wear it on special occasions.

Example Sentences

To mark the occasion, representatives of the US government, the City of Miami, and the Venezuelan ambassador to Washington, Felix Plasencia, will greet passengers before the flight departs Gate D55.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Paris St-Germain's record-breaking 5-4 Champions League semi-final first-leg victory over Bayern Munich was one such occasion.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

But occasionally there is a huge difference, and the top of the 1990s internet bubble was one such occasion.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

Today, they meet at Emily Lawrence’s home, where she has prepared peanut butter cookies and an elaborate cheese board for the occasion.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026

Rather than lend his presence to the occasion, Adams had taken the four o’clock stage out of town that morning in order to rejoin Abigail.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• affair
• celebration
• circumstance
• episode
• experience
• incident
• milestone
• moment
• scene
• thing
• time