occasion

oc·ca·sion | \ ə-ˈkā-zhən

Definition of occasion

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a favorable opportunity or circumstance did not have occasion to talk with them

2a : a state of affairs that provides a ground or reason The occasion of the discord was their mutual intolerance.

b : an occurrence or condition that brings something about especially : the immediate inciting circumstance as distinguished from the fundamental cause His insulting remark was the occasion of a bitter quarrel.

3a : happening, incident Everybody has been terribly kind since my recent sad occasion.— Thomas Kelly

b : a time at which something happens : instance on the occasion of his daughter's wedding

4a : a need arising from a particular circumstance knowledge for which he will never have any occasion— C. H. Grandgent

b archaic : a personal want or need —usually used in plural

5 occasions plural : affairs, business minded his own occasions and was content for other folk to mind theirs— S. H. Adams

6 : a special event or ceremony : celebration birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions

on occasion

: from time to time He lives in the country, though he visits the city on occasion.

occasion

verb

oc·ca·sion | \ ə-ˈkā-zhən

occasioned; occasioning\ ə-ˈkāzh-niŋ

, -ˈkā-zhə- \

Definition of occasion (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: bring about, cause

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about occasion

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Examples of occasion in a Sentence

Noun When versatility is fashion's best justification, the idea of a beautiful lace blouse or dress that can step up to a special occasion and then look just as good under a man-tailored jacket or a fine-gauge long-line cardigan the next day is persuasive. — S. Mower, Vogue, September 2008 On several occasions, people have observed dark, kilometer-wide bands on the ocean surface as tsunamis approached or passed by … — S. Perkins, Science News, 21 Feb. 2004 Not so long ago, Rolling Stone's David Fricke asked the late Kurt Cobain whom he admired among "established" rock bands. Cobain unhesitatingly named R.E.M., using the occasion to send the band members a virtual mash note for remaining true to their muse and to themselves and for refusing to be swayed by the shifting winds of fashion and commerciality. — Robert Palmer, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 1994 To publish a definitive collection of short stories in one's late 60s seems to me, as an American writer, a traditional and a dignified occasion, eclipsed in no way by the fact that a great many of the stories in my current collection were written in my underwear. — John Cheever, in Ann Charters, The Story and Its Writer, 1987 birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions They marked the occasion with their families. She wrote a song especially for the occasion. Roses are the perfect flower for any occasion. On the occasion of their 25th wedding anniversary, they took a vacation to Paris. We had occasion to watch her perform last summer. The boys never had occasion to meet each other. She never found an occasion to suggest her ideas. He took the occasion to make an announcement. Verb It was that desire that occasioned a trip to Berlin this spring: a desire to wander through the city's arty demimonde and to eat beside its residents … — Sam Sifton, New York Times, 22 June 2008 "I made bow ties," Sally says very assuredly, after the long silence occasioned by my unwanted kiss, during which we both realized we are not about to head upstairs for any fun. — Richard Ford, Independence Day, 1996 the announcement concerning the change in scheduling occasioned much confusion

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The design process was painstakingly detailed on a website launched just for the occasion. — Victor Mather, New York Times, "A New Rams Logo Draws Digital Boos From Fans," 25 Mar. 2020 Before the coronavirus chaos, the family ordered matching shirts to wear to court for the occasion. — USA Today, "While coronavirus delays adoptions, a family forms anyway," 20 Mar. 2020 As the clock struck midnight, a rousing chorus belted out a 1987 hit from the band R.E.M., selected just for the occasion. — Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, "Layoffs, closures and all takeout all the time as San Antonio restaurants, bars face the new reality of coronavirus," 19 Mar. 2020 Read on for the best travel jewelry case for every occasion. — Madison Flager, Condé Nast Traveler, "Travel Jewelry Cases to Pack So You Don't Spend Your Whole Vacation Untangling Necklaces," 17 Mar. 2020 The Trustees of Miami Township and the Harrison Symmes Memorial Foundation will display the sword, and the Cincinnati Civic Orchestra will also play a special arrangement for the occasion. — Briana Rice, Cincinnati.com, "Rescued Revolutionary War sword to be put on display for first time in Hamilton County at event," 5 Mar. 2020 On TikTok, many began to recreate and even duet the dance, and ARMYs certainly came out for the occasion in full force. — Gianluca Russo, Teen Vogue, "TikTok Users Are Mashing Up BTS's “Black Swan” With the Renegade," 29 Feb. 2020 The 21-year-old, who was scouted on Facebook, made her exclusive runway debut yesterday in the Italian house’s fall 2020 collection—thanks, in no small part, to her boyish coif, which was to dramatic effect by for the occasion. — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, "Meet the Model Whose “James Dean” Haircut Landed Her a Spot on the Prada Runway," 21 Feb. 2020 There will be additional champagne selections for this occasion. — Robert Gant, Anchorage Daily News, "Fall in love with these Valentine’s Day events in Anchorage," 13 Feb. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The chance, this time, is the legitimately unprecedented situation occasioned by the pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus. — Bonnie Kristian, TheWeek, "Beware the emergency power grab," 23 Mar. 2020 One by-product of the newer emergency—the one occasioned by the pandemic—is that the anticipated demonstrations and rallies, which made the post-election moment seem so dangerous, feel contained, even if the virus is not. — Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, "In Israel, an Unprecedented Political Crisis Is Compounded by the Coronavirus—and Netanyahu Is Benefitting," 19 Mar. 2020 Matters become more sinister in Chapter II when Cassie returns to her old school for a confrontation with the dean (Connie Britton), who occasioned the girl’s departure from academia. — Todd Mccarthy, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Promising Young Woman': Film Review | Sundance 2020," 26 Jan. 2020 Through quiet anomaly, Dashti’s still, silent and very deliberate pictures capture the desolation of displacement and the dismay occasioned by homecoming. — Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, "It’s time we looked at Iran through the same lens as its best photographers," 15 Jan. 2020 Every visit to a friend's house, the market or workplace occasioned a walk. — Dan Buettner, CNN, "A 'blue zones' diet: Live longer from what you eat," 3 Dec. 2019 The question that has occasioned the impeachment of Donald Trump is not whether the president is legitimate but whether his tribe is legitimate. — Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, "Impeachment and the Broken Truce," 14 Nov. 2019 To what extent are his position on the sidewalk outside the museum and his blocked face an indication of residual bitterness at the shabby treatment by MoMA that occasioned his resignation in 1947? — William Meyers, WSJ, "‘Eye to I: Self-Portraits From 1900 to Today’ Review: How Artists See Themselves," 19 Nov. 2018 Impeachment won’t occasion any significant new jurisprudence on executive privilege or the line between executive or legislative prerogatives. — Rich Lowry, National Review, "The Unhistoric Impeachment," 13 Dec. 2019

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

History and Etymology for occasion

Noun

Middle English occasioun "opportunity, inducement, grounds or justification, occurrence," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French occasion, borrowed from Medieval Latin occāsiōn-, occāsiō "opportunity, circumstance, cause, pretext," going back to Latin, "convenient circumstances, opportunity," from oc-cad-, base of occidere "to be struck down, die, sink below the horizon" + -tiōn- -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at occident

Note: Though Latin occāsiō is formally a derivative of occidere, it does not reflect the meaning of that verb; for the sense cf. other derivatives of cadere "to fall," as accidere "to happen" (see accident) and cāsus "occurrence, chance" (see case entry 1). The verbal noun corresponding semantically to occidere is occāsus "sinking (of the sun), downfall, decline."

Verb

Middle English occasionen, borrowed from Medieval Latin occāsiōnāre, derivative of occāsiōn-, occāsiō occasion entry 1

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