occasion
Americannoun
-
occasions
plural
-
a particular time, especially as marked by certain circumstances or occurrences.
They met on three occasions.
-
a special or important time, event, ceremony, celebration, etc..
His birthday will be quite an occasion.
-
a convenient or favorable time, opportunity, or juncture.
This slack period would be a good occasion to take inventory.
-
the immediate or incidental cause or reason for some action or result.
What is the occasion for this uproar?
- Synonyms:
- influence, inducement, motive
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(in the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead) the coincidence of the eternal objects forming a specific point-event.
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Obsolete. occasions,
-
needs or necessities.
-
necessary business matters.
to go about one's lawful occasions.
-
verb (used with object)
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occasions,
present (3rd person singular)
-
occasioned,
past participle, past
-
occasioning
present participle
idioms
noun
-
(sometimes foll by of) the time of a particular happening or event
-
(sometimes foll by for) a reason or cause (to do or be something); grounds
there was no occasion to complain
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an opportunity (to do something); chance
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a special event, time, or celebration
the party was quite an occasion
-
every so often
-
to have the courage, wit, etc, to meet the special demands of a situation
-
to avail oneself of an opportunity (to do something)
verb
Synonym Usage
See cause.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
occasionsimple
-
occasionssimple
-
have occasionedperfect
-
has occasionedperfect
-
am occasioningprogressive
-
are occasioningprogressive
-
is occasioningprogressive
-
have been occasioningperfect progressive
-
has been occasioningperfect progressive
Past
-
occasionedsimple
-
had occasionedperfect
-
was occasioningprogressive
-
were occasioningprogressive
-
had been occasioningperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing occasion
English Words Derived from French, List 1
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Introducing Rhetoric: Using the "Available Means" (Chapter 1)
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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:
Whyland’s Stevie, serving as emcee when the occasion calls for one, combines genuine camaraderie with comic relief.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The Truro gig was Mercury's first live performance with Taylor and May and he used the occasion to announce their new name, Queen.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
On this occasion the spinners took a backseat – Adil Rashid and Dawson sent down only four overs between them.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
It isn’t unusual for presidents and Fed chairs to meet on occasion, but in recent decades the contacts have been more formal and choreographed to avoid the perception the president is influencing rate decisions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
“Without them, who would carry on the line? The day your wife adds a fresh twig to the Ashton family tree will be a memorable occasion, I have no doubt.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
On several occasions, small mismatches between measurements and expectations have eventually revealed that scientists were missing something important about how nature works.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
A history of the it-restaurant destroyed on 9/11 conjured many memories of special occasions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
The attacks escalated this summer, with 16 trees — 13 Jeffrey pines and three white firs — poisoned on three occasions between May and early August.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
We have seen De Zerbi's forwards in bigger spaces facing fewer defenders on numerous occasions this season already.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
He also denied any association with Guiteau other than seeing him on many occasions at New York City's Republican headquarters and a few times on Washington's streets.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
June 30 marked the completion of Justice Alito’s 20th full term, an anniversary that has occasioned a fair amount of retrospection.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
"The absence of our lawyers was occasioned by the state itself, not by ourselves," said Besigye.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
Caesar, Hegel writes, was driven by “an unconscious impulse that occasioned the accomplishment of that for which the time was ripe.”
From Salon ● Mar. 28, 2026
Dr Perumbalath resigned, saying at the time it was "not a resignation occasioned by fault or by any admission of liability".
From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026
Dolores’ silence might have been brought on by a jealous reaction, but mine was occasioned by pure surprise.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Such supernatural activity is accompanied by extreme close-ups of an eye, occasioning thoughts of Sauron, and sometimes an unintelligible voice that occasions thoughts of the Beastie Boys’ ”Intergalactic.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 17, 2024
Thursday’s D-Day anniversary — the 80th — is occasioning somber and anxious reflections about the fate of the Atlantic alliance.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
But a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court found her not guilty of two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2023
The reality of globalization and the cyber revolution is likely occasioning another reformation of Christianity.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 30, 2017
Theresa poked a finger in a soft spot of plaster, occasioning a moist avalanche.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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.
