occasionally

adverb

oc·​ca·​sion·​al·​ly ə-ˈkā-zh(ə-)nə-lē 

: on occasion : now and then

dines out occasionally

We occasionally see deer in the field.

Synonyms of occasionally

• sometimes

Examples of occasionally in a Sentence

Occasionally, things don't go as planned.

Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Recent Examples on the Web

The monochromatic tones are occasionally broken by a scrap of visual ephemera blowing through the wasteland. —Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025

Older girls occasionally cornered me on the playground, ruffling my hair and calling me silly names. —Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025

Showers and storms While a meteor shower is expected this year, the Leonids are known for occasionally producing tremendous meteor storms, with at least 1,000 meteors per hour. —Gina Park, CNN Money, 16 Nov. 2025

Which means Liz is left alone in a house in which shadows occasionally seem to move across the walls of their own accord. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English occasionaly "on a particular occasion, sometimes," from occasyonal occasional + -ly -ly entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing occasionally

• very occasionally

Kids Definition

occasionally

adverb

oc·​ca·​sion·​al·​ly -ē 

: from time to time

occasionally goes to the movies