occurrence
Americannoun
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the action, fact, or instance of occurring.
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something that happens; event; incident.
We were delayed by several unexpected occurrences.
- Synonyms:
- circumstance
noun
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something that occurs; a happening; event
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the act or an instance of occurring
a crime of frequent occurrence
Related Words
See event.
Other Word Forms
- occurrent adjective
- preoccurrence noun
- reoccurrence noun
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- ; ob- ( def. ) ) + currere “to run” + -ence; compare Medieval Latin occurrentia
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.
He recalls thinking, "it would be nice to write a short paper reporting the occurrence of these wasp nests in the mandibles."
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
Death due to a rattlesnake bite is a rare occurrence.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
This most recent incident is a rare occurrence for robotaxi companies in China after the widespread rollout of such vehicles in major cities across the country.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
She believes the negative reaction was self-righteous because the recordings captured an everyday occurrence and says people should stop judging.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
In normal times Jerry G. probably wouldn’t have given the cross a tumble; such roadside markers were a common occurrence.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
