occurrence
Americannoun
-
occurrences
plural
-
the action, fact, or instance of occurring.
-
something that happens; event; incident.
We were delayed by several unexpected occurrences.
- Synonyms:
- circumstance
noun
-
something that occurs; a happening; event
-
the act or an instance of occurring
a crime of frequent occurrence
Synonym Usage
See event.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of occurrence
1530–40; < Latin occurrent-, stem of occurrēns (present participle of occurrere “to run up to, run to meet”), from oc- (variant of ob- ; see ob- ( def. )) + currere “to run” + -ence; compare Medieval Latin occurrentia
Explanation
An occurrence is an instance of something or a time when something happens. If you get migraines, the doctor might ask how many occurrences of the headache you have in a month. An occurrence is an instance of something that happens repeatedly. The occurrence of Lyme disease is more frequent in New England than it is in other parts of the country. As soon as authorities see an occurrence of rabies, they send warnings out to people who live in the area. Sometimes though, an occurrence is a single event or an incident. If you and your friend saw a ghost in the cemetery, that would be quite an occurrence!
Vocabulary lists containing occurrence
Make a Run for It: Cur, Curs
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
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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.
See Examples For:
SK hynix said in a statement sent to AFP it was "taking various measures to more objectively identify the characteristics of disease occurrence" and was fully cooperating with government inquiries.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Allowing dyed fuel for on-road use could raise the occurrence of farm fuel theft, said Arrington.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
“The Swan” was not a singular occurrence, then, but part of an era hawking cosmetic improvement, whether surgical or noninvasive, as the key to succeeding at life.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
It was an almost unprecedented occurrence from a club that has always been renowned for being careful with investment in their team, and it sent expectations from many Spurs supporters through the roof.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
I did, however, have his complete attention, a rare occurrence.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
The president said he had "directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences".
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
As far as we know, hacks carried out by AI agents are still quite rare occurrences - but then again, it is largely up to companies themselves to disclose them.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Best of all, the shocker revelation explaining the shivery occurrences is haunting and persuasive—within the wide parameters of the genre, of course.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Profit growth has also been unusually high, in large part due to one-off occurrences.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 9, 2026
I should be used to the fact that these squabbles are daily occurrences, but I’m not and never will be as long as I’m the subject of nearly every discussion.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
