occurrence

noun

oc·cur·rence | \ ə-ˈkər-ən(t)s

, -ˈkə-rən(t)s\

Definition of occurrence

1 : something that occurs a startling occurrence Lightning is a natural occurrence.

2 : the action or fact of happening or occurring —often used with of the repeated occurrence of petty theft in the locker room

Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about occurrence

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Choose the Right Synonym for occurrence

occurrence, event, incident, episode, circumstance mean something that happens or takes place. occurrence may apply to a happening without intent, volition, or plan. an encounter that was a chance occurrence event usually implies an occurrence of some importance and frequently one having antecedent cause. the events following the assassination incident suggests an occurrence of brief duration or secondary importance. a minor wartime incident episode stresses the distinctiveness or apartness of an incident. a brief romantic episode in a life devoted to work circumstance implies a specific detail attending an action or event as part of its setting or background. couldn't recall the exact circumstances

Examples of occurrence in a Sentence

Getting headaches has become a common occurrence for her. the recent occurrences of the disease Lightning is a natural occurrence.

Recent Examples on the Web

The club’s overall record of 17 wins and 24 losses tells you that going out in the first round is a frequent occurrence. — Mark Goodman, The Denver Post, "Backpass: Colorado Rapids were exposed in the US Open Cup. What can MLS teams learn from this?," 15 June 2019 Fans also had to deal with a brief delay due to lightning, CNN notes, which is a common occurrence during Florida’s frequent summer thunderstorms. — Maria Pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Some Fans Waited in Line for 10 Hours to Ride New Harry Potter Roller Coaster on Opening Day," 14 June 2019 Still, tourism officials have noted that much of the Big Island is unaffected by Kilauea's latest lava flows and that lava flows are a normal occurrence at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. — Gene Sloan, USA TODAY, "Hawaii volcano: Eruption of Kilauea continues to cause disruption for cruise ships," 24 May 2018 The scene is just one of many flashbacks in this episode, but what's still unclear is if Frank will continue to appear on the show, or if this was a one-time occurrence. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "What Tobias Menzies's Return to Outlander Reveals About Frank Randall," 17 Dec. 2018 Halloween episodes were a yearly occurrence on the original Roseanne series — one even featured the birth of Roseanne Conner’s youngest son, Jerry. — Megan Friedman, Good Housekeeping, "‘The Conners’ Just Gave a Sneak Peek of Its Halloween Episode," 26 Oct. 2018 Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Wilson said Wednesday that the mine’s appearance was a unique occurrence in his 24 years with the agency. — Asia Fields, The Seattle Times, "Navy says mystery mine found off Bainbridge Island was from 2005 exercise," 31 Aug. 2018 Reportedly, however, players who stop and watch the movie are getting killed by jerks who really want that Victory Royale, which is not a new occurrence for the game. — Patricia Hernandez, The Verge, "Fortnite’s rift-to-go patch hides a bunch of cool stuff," 23 Aug. 2018 Golf, and the PGA Tour, needs to get real, and the occasional disaster is a healthy occurrence. — Mac Engel, star-telegram, "Golf wins with a disaster U.S. Open," 17 June 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near occurrence

Statistics for occurrence

Last Updated

21 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for occurrence

The first known use of occurrence was in 1539

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More Definitions for occurrence

occurrence

noun

English Language Learners Definition of occurrence

: something that happens

: the fact of happening or occurring

See the full definition for occurrence in the English Language Learners Dictionary

occurrence

noun

oc·cur·rence | \ ə-ˈkər-əns

Kids Definition of occurrence

1 : something that happens Lightning is a natural occurrence.

2 : the action or process of happening There's been a lower occurrence of the disease.

occurrence

noun

oc·cur·rence

Legal Definition of occurrence

: something that takes place especially : an accident, event, or continuing condition that causes personal or property damage that is unintended or unexpected from the standpoint of an insured party making a claim