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occasional

adjective
oc·​ca·​sion·​al | \ ə-ˈkāzh-nəl How to pronounce occasional (audio) , -ˈkā-zhə-nᔊl\

Definition of occasional

1a : of or relating to a particular occasion a budget able to meet occasional demands as well as regular ones
b : created for a particular occasion occasional verse occasional music
2 : acting as the occasion or contributing cause of something occasional causes for creating apparent effects
3 : encountered, occurring, appearing, or taken at irregular or infrequent intervals occasional visitors an occasional vacation found occasional errors occasional episodes of chest pain
4 : acting in a specified capacity from time to time an occasional lecturer an occasional essayist
5 : designed or constructed to be used as the occasion demands occasional furniture
Other Words from occasional Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about occasional

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Examples of occasional in a Sentence

She receives occasional phone calls from her mother. There will be occasional showers during the morning. Most mornings, we'll see deer or the occasional bear walking past our house. He tells an occasional joke to keep his students interested. I need to take occasional breaks from work. Sure, I drink an occasional glass of wine from time to time. She's an occasional lecturer at the university.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Greater Cincinnati has been plagued with the occasional Labor Day weekend downpour, leaving Riverfest attendees a little soggy. — Sarah Brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "What will the weather be like for Riverfest, Labor Day? Clear skies, perfect temperatures," 29 Aug. 2019 Like with heartburn, mild or occasional indigestion is usually nothing to worry about. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Is Late-Night Snacking Really So Wrong?," 23 Aug. 2019 In the premiere his guest is actor, comic and occasional TV host Rob Riggle. — Los Angeles Times, "What’s on TV Monday: ‘The Terror’ on AMC," 11 Aug. 2019 The serious business is punctuated by laughter and occasional cursing as the friends tell stories and trade barbs. — Tim Evans, Indianapolis Star, "Indiana noodling: Inside the Hoosier tradition of catching snapping turtles by hand," 14 July 2019 The new business has been making an occasional appearance at the market through the summer. — Steve Edwards, Anchorage Daily News, "Try new local chocolate made from hand-ground beans," 1 Aug. 2019 Most of those donations made between 1993 and 2019 were occasional at best. — David Yanofsky, Quartz, "William Barr’s donations to Senate Republicans spiked just before they confirmed him as attorney general," 18 July 2019 There were occasional appearances by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the president’s elder daughter and son-in-law, who also serve as the president’s senior advisers and live with their children a few blocks from the embassy. — David E. Sanger, New York Times, "‘It Could Have Been Any of Us’: Disdain for Trump Runs Among Ambassadors," 10 July 2019 Her eyes took in the world with passive depth and the occasional flash of gentle humor. — Mary Gaitskill, The New Yorker, "This Is Pleasure," 8 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'occasional.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of occasional

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for occasional

Middle English occasyonal "occurring at intervals," borrowed from Medieval Latin occāsiƍnālis "opportune, incidental," from occāsiƍn-, occāsiƍ occasion entry 1 + Latin -ālis -al entry 1

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More Definitions for occasional

occasional

adjective
How to pronounce occasional (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of occasional

: happening or done sometimes but not often : not happening or done in a regular or frequent way
: sometimes doing a particular job or activity

See the full definition for occasional in the English Language Learners Dictionary

occasional

adjective
oc·​ca·​sion·​al | \ ə-ˈkā-zhə-nᔊl How to pronounce occasional (audio) \

Kids Definition of occasional

: happening or met with now and then They went to an occasional movie.

Other Words from occasional

occasionally adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on occasional

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with occasional

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for occasional

Spanish Central: Translation of occasional

Nglish: Translation of occasional for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of occasional for Arabic Speakers

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