OCCASIONAL Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

occasional

adjective

ə-ˈkā-zh(ə-)nəl

Definition of occasional

as in sporadic

lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence the weekend forecast is for occasional showers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in odd

not often occurring or repeated an occasional mechanical problem with our car, but nothing serious

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of occasional And while the platform and culture may have changed, the thrill of the hunt—and occasional buyer’s remorse—has not. — Adam Erace, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026 These days, her feed is more professionally focused, showcasing mostly red-carpet looks and key art and the occasional photo of her beloved rescue dog, Billie. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026 Other road and weather factors to consider are heavy thunderstorms and standing water, slick roads from oil and grime after the rain, leaves and debris, as well as occasional ice. — Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Sinatra and Dean Martin croon softly on the speakers (until the occasional Charli xcx track sneaks in). — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for occasional

Recent Examples of Synonyms for occasional

Adjective

In the 1980s teams of mathematicians around the world unearthed the polynomials corresponding to 25 of the 26 sporadic groups—but not M23.

— Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026
But foreigners have also experienced sporadic outbursts of xenophobic violence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of sporadic

Adjective

The franchise, one of the most successful ever, spans thirty-odd games—many of which are very good—and has spawned multiple live-action film adaptations and television shows, nearly all of which have been terrible.

— Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
And the plot careens from one incident to the next, sometimes landing on a random sight gag or odd digression.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of odd

Adjective

His speech came as intermittent attacks continued in the Strait of Hormuz off Iran's coast, where commercial shipping remained below prewar levels.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
Clare, who suffered intermittent memory loss, regained her full memory roughly two days later.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of intermittent

Adjective

Sarah Patton, a Compass agent familiar with the buildings, says that a few years ago, when hundreds of units were being marketed downtown, some buildings were making deals, but that’s rare.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 29 Sep. 2026
Since then researchers have discovered that the Epstein-Barr virus, which is known to cause cancers such as nasal pharyngeal cancers and some forms of lymphoma, is also linked to some stomach cancers and some rarer lymphomas, Clifford says.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of rare

Adjective

The deaths were sudden and unexpected as their health wavered amid the challenges of adjusting to a new home, according to statements from the aquariums.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
Circling back to the upbeat pop and rock of Vacation and the dour synth-pop of Beautiful, this artist seems done twisting to find herself and less prone to the sudden adjustments to her persona that made her catalogue spicy.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of sudden

Adjective

The 30-logical-qubit demonstration represents an important data point in the industry’s effort to move from isolated quantum experiments toward machines capable of executing increasingly long and reliable computations.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
The other islands will likely get a few inches of rain with isolated flooding possible.

— Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of isolated

Adjective

Voters are deeply concerned about income disparity but also skeptical about the unusual approach of the billionaire tax.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
The incident adds an unusual detail to the growing record of autonomous AI behavior.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of unusual

Adjective

Diverse characters made infrequent appearances, their storylines often tied to hardship rather than joy.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Clearing the uncertainty Neutron capture reactions are difficult to measure directly because recreating stellar conditions in the laboratory is hard; the reactions are infrequent, and the nuclei involved are short-lived.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of infrequent

Browse Nearby Words

occasion

occasional

occasionally

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“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occasional. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of occasional

adjective

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