occasional
Americanadjective
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occurring or appearing at irregular or infrequent intervals; occurring now and then.
an occasional headache.
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intended for supplementary use when needed.
an occasional chair.
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pertaining to, arising out of, or intended for the occasion.
occasional verses.
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acting or serving for the occasion or only on particular occasions.
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serving as the occasion or incidental cause.
adjective
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taking place from time to time; not frequent or regular
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of, for, or happening on special occasions
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serving as an occasion (for something)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of occasional
Explanation
When something happens from time to time on an irregular basis, we say it is an occasional occurrence. For example, you might have an occasional lunch with a friend. If your friend ever picked up the bill, maybe it would happen more often. Occasional is a few steps removed from the Latin cadere, "to fall." So you might think of something occasional as something that happens "to fall" just whenever it happens to fall. Speaking of falling, Voltaire once wrote, "The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination." An occasional election might do in a pinch.
Vocabulary lists containing occasional
The Cay
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Bridge to Terabithia
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
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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.
Krasner moved in various directions, including, after Pollock’s death in 1956, occasional echoes of his compositions, perhaps as mourning.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
Tougher times followed, resulting in almost five years out of the 50-over side and only occasional T20 appearances.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The light from occasional thunderstorms often provides the only illumination.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
I’m much happier with an occasional Big Seasonal Prep Day — fill the freezer with soups, sauces, breakfast burritos and other useful things — and then let the ensuing weeks fall where they will.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026
The friendship that Duane had so hoped would blossom between the two of them had not yet progressed beyond occasional hellos.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
