occur
Americanverb (used without object)
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occurs,
present (3rd person singular)
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occurred,
past participle, past
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occurring
present participle
verb
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to happen; take place; come about
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to be found or be present; exist
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(foll by to) to be realized or thought of (by); suggest itself (to)
Usage
It is usually regarded as incorrect to talk of pre-arranged events occurring or happening : the wedding took place (not occurred or happened ) in the afternoon
Synonym Usage
See happen.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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occursimple
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occurssimple
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have occurredperfect
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has occurredperfect
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am occurringprogressive
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are occurringprogressive
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is occurringprogressive
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have been occurringperfect progressive
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has been occurringperfect progressive
Past
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occurredsimple
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had occurredperfect
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was occurringprogressive
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were occurringprogressive
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had been occurringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of occur
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin occurrere “to run to meet, arrive, meet,” equivalent to oc- oc- + currere “to run”
Explanation
Use the verb occur when an event or a thought happens, like when it occurs to you that you've left home without your umbrella. Maybe you didn't hear the forecast that showers would occur this afternoon. The verb occur comes from the Latin, occurrere, “to meet” or “to present itself.” When something occurs, it comes into being, like a thought that seems to present itself from out of the blue, like when it suddenly occurs to you that you forgot to ask your guests if they'd like a cup of tea, or that it would never occur to your Mother that some people spend a small fortune on handbags. Events can also occur, meaning "take place," like a meeting that will occur tomorrow.
Vocabulary lists containing occur
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Make a Run for It: Cur, Curs
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 4
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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.
See Examples For:
“The time that it takes to fully activate a performing arts center the size of the Vision has to occur in phases,” Wafer said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
These passages can occur months or several years apart.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
St. Louis lies near “Tornado Alley,” which refers to the region in the center of the U.S. where tornadoes occur the most.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
Boeing said it hasn’t scheduled further talks with SPEEA, and the earliest a strike could occur is Oct.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The fact that almost all his arguments are in the end arguments from testimony never seems to occur to him.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Condensation occurs when water vapor changes into liquid water.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
The swelling occurs all over his body, including in his throat, stomach and face.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
“It’s something we have to accept: Foreign influence occurs regardless of color.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
El Nino occurs on average every two to seven years.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Rhythm occurs in a melody, in the accompaniment, and uses combinations of short and long durations to create patterns and entire compositions.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
The locomotive was pulling the wagons from Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, to Theale, near Reading, when the derailment occurred.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
A scare occurred Saturday at Los Angeles Southwest College in San Pedro, where a loud noise triggered a stampede out of the stadium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
A year on, there remains a "vacuum of evidence" around what occurred during "the most critical week" of the entire trial, Edney argued.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
"In addition, we can improve nuclear forensics -- our ability to determine if a nuclear event has occurred and identify the most likely source."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
“And then he recited the Lord’s Prayer. It never occurred to us that there might be a clash between the crucifix and the portrait of Hitler that hung side by side in every schoolroom.”
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The driver reports allege an immediate loss of brake assist functionality instead of the loss occurring after the vehicle comes to a complete stop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
No two El Niños are the same - so, while it may increase the chance of certain types of weather occurring, this is not guaranteed.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
But it’s a testament to the physicians featured in “American Doctor” that none of them would suggest that this is the greatest crime occurring in the region.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Researchers at McMaster University have uncovered an unexpected role for a naturally occurring hormone already known for reducing appetite and supporting weight loss.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
I say, "Yeah, I'll try to stop by," even though I don't know when the party will be occurring.
From "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan
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.
