occasional

adjective

oc·​ca·​sion·​al ə-ˈkā-zh(ə-)nəl 

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

Synonyms of occasional

• sporadic
• intermittent
• sudden

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

The Perseids can produce 80 to 100 meteors per hour, including occasional bright fireballs, making 2026 one of the best years in recent memory to watch the shower. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

Hwang suffered a traumatic brain injury from the attack, leading to ataxia, a neurological disorder that impairs movement and muscle control, and occasional seizures. — Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Scotland changed its anthem to ‘Flower Of Scotland’ — a folk song written in the 1960s, and whose lyrics take occasional aim at its neighbour and old enemy to the south — across their sports teams in the 1990s. — George Edwards, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Treat date night as a standing appointment rather than an occasional bonus. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 30 July 2026

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

Rhymes for occasional

• equational

Kids Definition

occasional

adjective

oc·​ca·​sion·​al ə-ˈkāzh-nəl 

-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