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 Yet despite this unease, they are also shown with occasional silliness and wit, as well as an unexpected strength to their paradoxically porcelain-like bodies. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Moviegoing is transforming into an occasional, expensive, plan-ahead event rather than a regular habit, raising concerns for the long-term health of American cinema. — Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 In a remote-work era, location still matters for payroll, taxes, employment law, working hours, and occasional in-person expectations. — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026 Mechanical watches need winding and the gears need the occasional drop of watch oil to stay lubricated. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for occasional

Recent Examples of Synonyms for occasional

Adjective

Despite the drumbeat of warnings and sporadic enforcement, there is widespread defiance of official regulations, especially among young Iranian women.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
But Iran continues to mount sporadic attacks against shipping and assert its claim over the strait.

— Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of sporadic

Adjective

The continent is being hammered by a number of odd energy policy decisions, from closing zero-emission nuclear plants or shutting down natural gas facilities.

— Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
The odd part is that all of this spending, hiring and firing is happening around a target every major AI lab defines differently.

— Jemma Green, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of odd

Adjective

In Iraq, the United States inflicted a dozen years of punishing sanctions, intermittent bombing, and failed regime change and counterproliferation efforts, followed by the disastrous 2003 invasion and occupation, all at tremendous human cost.

— MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Then came even more emotion, with intermittent pauses to cry.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of intermittent

Adjective

The rare albino peacock that was injured during the incident in Pasadena.

— Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
In a Texas hospital this week, doctors performed a complex, high-risk, open-heart surgery on a 6-day-old boy born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital condition that rendered part of his heart underdeveloped.

— Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of rare

Adjective

The sudden push toward scale marks a shift for a technology that spent years looking more like a Silicon Valley experiment than a serious alternative to putting a package in a car.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
The morning after their fight, Russia invades Ukraine, and the two go on with their separation amid the backdrop of sudden social upheaval.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of sudden

Adjective

Another isolated shower or storm chance arrives Sunday, mainly across southern Minnesota, but most of the weekend should remain dry.

— Joseph Dames, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Most locations may just experience low overcast, but isolated locations and a handful of observations have reported visibility as low as a quarter of a mile.

— NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of isolated

Adjective

Its unusual features give it a curious, almost surprised expression, helping people connect with a species rarely seen outside its coral home.

— Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Researchers used Jefferson Lab’s Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) to produce the experiment’s unusual probe.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of unusual

Adjective

Companies with infrequent travel needs—or executives whose trips are concentrated between major airline hubs with flexible schedules—may still find commercial airlines or occasional charter flights to be the most practical and cost-effective choice.

— Jill Schildhouse, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Exhibiting became infrequent along the way, in part because so few spaces could present his work.

— Aaron Fagan, Artforum, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of infrequent

Browse Nearby Words

occasion

occasional

occasionally

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occasional. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of occasional

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on occasional

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tilde

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes