occasion
- 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.
- to give occasion or cause for; bring about.
- on occasion, now and then; from time to time; occasionally: She visits New York on occasion.
Origin of occasion
Synonyms
See more synonyms for occasion on Thesaurus.comSynonym study
Examples from the Web for occasioned
Contemporary Examples
Remember what Romney was asked that occasioned his infamous comments?
My obituary for Andrew Breitbart has occasioned a lot of comment.
Historical Examples
Doyle had received news, which occasioned him to retreat for Camden.
A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis MarionWilliam Dobein James
The most afflictive of all separations, is that which is occasioned by death.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. IIFrancis Augustus Cox
There's the loss of time it has occasioned, the worry, the uncertainty: who is to repay me all that?
The ChanningsMrs. Henry Wood
Unimportant as this may seem now, it then occasioned intense excitement.
Cleveland Past and PresentMaurice Joblin
The stir in the vessel was occasioned by the preparations to meet this change.
Homeward BoundJames Fenimore Cooper
occasion
- (sometimes foll by of) the time of a particular happening or event
- (sometimes foll by for) a reason or cause (to do or be something); groundsthere was no occasion to complain
- an opportunity (to do something); chance
- a special event, time, or celebrationthe party was quite an occasion
- on occasion every so often
- rise to the occasion to have the courage, wit, etc, to meet the special demands of a situation
- take occasion to avail oneself of an opportunity (to do something)
- (tr) to bring about, esp incidentally or by chance
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for occasioned
occasion
n.
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.
occasion
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.
Idioms and Phrases with occasioned
occasion
see on occasion; rise to the occasion.