occasion

[ uh-key-zhuhn ]
See synonyms for occasion on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. a convenient or favorable time, opportunity, or juncture: This slack period would be a good occasion to take inventory.

  2. the immediate or incidental cause or reason for some action or result: What is the occasion for this uproar?

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

  4. occasions, Obsolete.

    • needs or necessities.

    • necessary business matters: to go about one's lawful occasions.

verb (used with object)
  1. to give occasion or cause for; bring about.

Idioms about occasion

  1. on occasion, now and then; from time to time; occasionally: She visits New York on occasion.

Origin of occasion

1
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

synonym study For occasion

4. See cause.

Other words for occasion

Other words from occasion

  • pre·oc·ca·sioned, adjective

Words Nearby occasion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use occasion in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for occasion

occasion

/ (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

  1. an opportunity (to do something); chance

  2. a special event, time, or celebration: the party was quite an occasion

  3. on occasion every so often

  4. rise to the occasion to have the courage, wit, etc, to meet the special demands of a situation

  5. take occasion to avail oneself of an opportunity (to do something)

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

Origin of occasion

1
C14: from Latin occāsiō a falling down, from occidere, from ob- down + cadere to fall

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with occasion

occasion

see on occasion; rise to the occasion.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.