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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Several chains have announced deals to mark the occasional on their websites, in social media or in news releases. Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 10 July 2025 The 32-year-old spent the last two seasons exclusively in the NHL after grinding his way through AHL seasons with the occasional call-up. Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 10 July 2025 Disruption today is built-in—an ever-present reality, not just an occasional glitch. Preston Fore, Fortune, 10 July 2025 The occasional flower is blooming next to a lost home. Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for occasional

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occasional. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on occasional

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