occasional

adjective

oc·​ca·​sion·​al ə-ˈkā-zh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce occasional (audio)
1
a
: 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

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.
Recent Examples on the Web Power 106 opted to play Latin and easily digestible hip-hop hits while other DJs entertained traveling crowds with occasional merch giveaways and lively trap beats. Thania Garcia, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 The design is muted, with an emphasis on natural, local materials: rope, rattan, and bamboo, alongside rustic linens in cream and taupe, featuring just the occasional nod to the tropical surroundings in the form of a tasteful palm tree print or a splash of mottled green. Liam Hess, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024 His fluid motion — pulling the mesh nets from the water, swapping the old bait for a fresh chunk of porgy — was interrupted only by the occasional water snake on top of a trap or a turtle inside one. Rick Rojas Emily Kask, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 With the occasional Oscars after-party thrown in, naturally. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 15 Mar. 2024 As for Booth, his odyssey takes him to various stops, including the home of friendly doctor Samuel Mudd (Matt Walsh), while his fame as an actor, even in this pre-screen era, serves as both a help and occasional hindrance to his efforts to escape. Brian Lowry, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Like many detainees, Jihan supplemented her rations using money earned from occasional jobs around the camp. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Grey herons, tawny owls, bats, seagulls, groundhogs, badgers, rabbits and even the occasional fox or boar from the suburbs have been treated at the hospital. Jess McHugh, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 Even occasional energy drink consumption—only one to three times a month—was linked with more sleep issues, the study found. Kaitlin Vogel, Health, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'occasional.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English occasyonal "occurring at intervals," borrowed from Medieval Latin occāsiōnālis "opportune, incidental," from occāsiōn-, occāsiō occasion entry 1 + Latin -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of occasional was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near occasional

Cite this Entry

“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occasional. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

occasional

adjective
oc·​ca·​sion·​al ə-ˈkāzh-nəl How to pronounce occasional (audio)
-ən-ᵊl
1
: of, relating to, or created for a particular occasion
occasional verse
2
: happening, appearing, or met with now and then
an occasional visitor

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