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
Synonym Usage
See event.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
In a preshow speech, Byrd told the sold-out opening night audience that working on the Occurrence dances allows him to play with both his craft and his dancers — an experience he finds “thrilling.”
From Seattle Times • Oct. 17, 2022
The biggest change Macmanus made in his adaptation comes in the fourth episode, “An Occurrence at Randall Kirby’s Sink.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2021
“Beyond the Flags” is “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” set during 9/11.
From The New Yorker • Sep. 11, 2015
And they toss away all plausibility for the final scene — unless that’s a reference to Ambrose Bierce’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.”
From Time • Sep. 9, 2014
Occurrence of these birds throughout southern North America, Middle America, and northern South America may thus reasonably be understood.
From Vertebrates from the Barrier Island of Tamaulipas, M?xico by Johnston, Richard F.
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.
