occasionally
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of occasionally
First recorded in 1615–25; occasional + -ly
Explanation
Something that happens occasionally doesn't happen all the time, just every once in a while. You play poker occasionally just to remind yourself that you always lose. The adverb occasionally is good for things that happen every now and then. You get tired of the cold occasionally, but the snow is lovely. Occasionally, you think of your long lost love, but never write. The idea comes to you occasionally that you should move somewhere with more people and warmer weather. I worry about you occasionally.
Vocabulary lists containing occasionally
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates
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Excerpt from "Bad Boy"
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Occasionally I would come across someone who appeared to be lost or unaware that they should not be there.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Occasionally, small genetic changes—mutations—are picked up along the way.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
Occasionally my therapist would have a delicious-smelling soup on simmer in another part of the house — not a design choice, but a pleasant sensory experience in the background.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
Occasionally, deceased members were buried in their green jackets.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
Occasionally, our intuitions and perceptions might allow us to grasp these natural laws.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
