occasionally
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of occasionally
First recorded in 1615–25; occasional + -ly
Explanation
Something that happens occasionally doesn't happen all the time, just every once in a while. You play poker occasionally just to remind yourself that you always lose. The adverb occasionally is good for things that happen every now and then. You get tired of the cold occasionally, but the snow is lovely. Occasionally, you think of your long lost love, but never write. The idea comes to you occasionally that you should move somewhere with more people and warmer weather. I worry about you occasionally.
Vocabulary lists containing occasionally
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates
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Excerpt from "Bad Boy"
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
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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.
In a world where public trust in science already hangs in the balance, a system that is visibly strained and occasionally embarrassed gives bad-faith actors fresh ammunition.
From Slate • May 3, 2026
Tulare Lake was once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, but it was drained to irrigate crops, and has reappeared only occasionally when floodwaters return.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
A big question will be whether Ternus has "the appetite for the kind of bold, occasionally uncomfortable decisions" that defining an Apple AI platform will require, said IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
Away from Jamie Johnson FC, Ella captains her age-group team at Manchester United, but still has to occasionally deal with some of the treatment Charlie has to handle on the show.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026
With so many contestants, the drops took a while, interspersed only occasionally with the cheers from a surviving team.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
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.
