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?
(in the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead) the coincidence of the eternal objects forming a specific point-event.
occasions,Obsolete.
needs or necessities.
necessary business matters: to go about one's lawful occasions.
verb (used with object)
to give occasion or cause for; bring about.
Idioms
on occasion, now and then; from time to time; occasionally: She visits New York on occasion.
Origin of occasion
1350–1400;Middle Englishoccasioun < Old Frenchoccasion < Latinoccāsiōn- (stem of occāsiō), equivalent to oc-oc- + cās(us) (past participle of cadere to fall, befall) + -iōn--ion
late 14c., "opportunity; grounds for action, state of affairs that makes something else possible; a happening, occurrence," from Old French ochaison, ocasion "cause, reason, excuse, pretext; opportunity" (13c.) or directly from Latin occasionem (nominative occasio) "opportunity, appropriate time," in Late Latin "cause," from occasum, occasus, past participle of occidere "fall down, go down," from ob "down, away" (see ob-) + cadere "to fall" (see case (n.1)). The notion is of a "falling together," or juncture, of circumstances.
v.
mid-15c., "to bring (something) about," from occasion (n.), or else from Old French occasionner "to cause," from Medieval Latin occasionare, from Latin occasionem (see occasion (n.)). Related: Occasioned; occasioning.
