occasional
Americanadjective
-
occurring or appearing at irregular or infrequent intervals; occurring now and then.
an occasional headache.
-
intended for supplementary use when needed.
an occasional chair.
-
pertaining to, arising out of, or intended for the occasion.
occasional verses.
-
acting or serving for the occasion or only on particular occasions.
-
serving as the occasion or incidental cause.
adjective
-
taking place from time to time; not frequent or regular
-
of, for, or happening on special occasions
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Bridge to Terabithia
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Insurance costs have gone up significantly as severe storms, hail and occasional tornadoes plow through the area, Helbig noted.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
Instead, the humid silence is punctuated by the diesel generators, the occasional Bluetooth speaker or the tinny buzzing of a cell phone squeezing out reggaeton, reparto or US pop.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
There is a great sadness in this book and also the occasional miraculous story of couples finding each other or of parents discovering a child who survived.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
There are no people on Lighthouse Island, apart from volunteers and the occasional visitor to the bird observatory at weekends.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Many of the girls threw occasional nervous glances at the door, but there was no sign of the baroness.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
