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

So could Aaron Judge, as Boone has occasionally gotten the right fielder off his feet when Stanton has been injured in the past. —Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026

Similar forces have led to ads that subtly clutter up Apple’s App Stores and some that occasionally expose users to low-quality and scammy apps. —ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026

The gnarly riffs and polished guitar tones across last year’s Bees in the Bonnet occasionally leaned into the jazzy or minimal, but the overarching sheen was of a retro rock machismo. —Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026

Herzog naturally plays up the enigma at hand with epic grandeur, occasionally overdoing it but usually hitting the mark. —Eric Kohn, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026

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