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
They sent me home with a football-size bag of uncooked couscous, which I occasionally pulled out to prepare.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
"The idea of a trans-Arabian gas pipeline has occasionally been floated but never progressed," he said.
From Barron's • May 1, 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
I’m sure you, in your life, have occasionally wished to be raised by different people than the ones who are raising you, but knew in your heart that the chances of this were very slim.
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
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.
