occurrence
Americannoun
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the action, fact, or instance of occurring.
-
something that happens; event; incident.
We were delayed by several unexpected occurrences.
- Synonyms:
- circumstance
noun
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something that occurs; a happening; event
-
the act or an instance of occurring
a crime of frequent occurrence
Related Words
See event.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of occurrence
1530–40; < Latin occurrent-, stem of occurrēns (present participle of occurrere “to run up to, run to meet”), from oc- (variant of ob- ; see ob- ( def. )) + currere “to run” + -ence; compare Medieval Latin occurrentia
Explanation
An occurrence is an instance of something or a time when something happens. If you get migraines, the doctor might ask how many occurrences of the headache you have in a month. An occurrence is an instance of something that happens repeatedly. The occurrence of Lyme disease is more frequent in New England than it is in other parts of the country. As soon as authorities see an occurrence of rabies, they send warnings out to people who live in the area. Sometimes though, an occurrence is a single event or an incident. If you and your friend saw a ghost in the cemetery, that would be quite an occurrence!
Vocabulary lists containing occurrence
Make a Run for It: Cur, Curs
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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 4
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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
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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.
They've been top of the table at Christmas, a rare occurrence for any club outside the behemoths.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Of the two, the S&P 500 was lower by 7.6% six months after the 2002 episode, but up 10.1% six months after the 2004 occurrence, as the below chart shows.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
Swiss health officials said human-to-human transmission occurs through close contact and that it “considers the occurrence of further cases in Switzerland unlikely.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
"We don't often find skeletons with the head and body still attached, and the soft tissue preservation is an even rarer occurrence."
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
In normal times Jerry G. probably wouldn’t have given the cross a tumble; such roadside markers were a common occurrence.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
