occasional
adjective
oc·ca·sion·al
ə-ˈkā-zh(ə-)nəl 
1
a
: of or relating to a particular occasion
a budget able to meet occasional demands as well as regular ones
b
: created for a particular occasion
occasional verse
occasional music
2
: acting as the occasion or contributing cause of something
occasional causes for creating apparent effects
3
: encountered, occurring, appearing, or taken at irregular or infrequent intervals
occasional visitors
an occasional vacation
found occasional errors
occasional episodes of chest pain
4
: acting in a specified capacity from time to time
an occasional lecturer
an occasional essayist
5
: designed or constructed to be used as the occasion demands
occasional furniture
Synonyms
Examples of occasional in a Sentence
She receives occasional phone calls from her mother.
There will be occasional showers during the morning.
Most mornings, we'll see deer or the occasional bear walking past our house.
He tells an occasional joke to keep his students interested.
I need to take occasional breaks from work.
Sure, I drink an occasional glass of wine from time to time.
She's an occasional lecturer at the university.
Recent Examples on the Web
Even though the crossing construction in Los Angeles has meant occasional slowdowns and lane closures, Pratt said the public has been able to stay focused on the benefits down the road.
—
Conor Knighton, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2024
The birds are all over the place, live next to the houses, and serve as occasional food or as sacrifice while also occasionally feeding on food made from their own.
—Gabino Iglesias, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024
Employees inside the stores, which include Hit or Miss and Blockbuster Video, idly talk on the phone or pour over the occasional customer who does come in.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
Forecasters said a mixture of waves from the west and the southwest will produce 3 to 5 foot waves on Tuesday and Wednesday, with occasional sets to 6 feet in some areas.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2024
But with the 2024 general election seven months away, Trump will be on the move on weekends and the occasional week night, holding fundraisers, meeting with advisers and staging campaign events in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to Trump and his aides.
—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
The lush score and rich, evocative visual language add a sense of grandeur and occasional maturity to the show that the narrative and dialogue can’t generate on their own.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The kind of cops who leave their work at the office, go home to their families, and drink only the occasional beer or glass of wine at dinner.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
The 2023 livestream and occasional network coverage of Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial after being sued for a skiing accident was simply the logical conclusion of what the Simpson trial coverage started.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Conor Knighton, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2024
The birds are all over the place, live next to the houses, and serve as occasional food or as sacrifice while also occasionally feeding on food made from their own.
—Gabino Iglesias, NPR, 16 Apr. 2024
Employees inside the stores, which include Hit or Miss and Blockbuster Video, idly talk on the phone or pour over the occasional customer who does come in.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024
Forecasters said a mixture of waves from the west and the southwest will produce 3 to 5 foot waves on Tuesday and Wednesday, with occasional sets to 6 feet in some areas.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2024
But with the 2024 general election seven months away, Trump will be on the move on weekends and the occasional week night, holding fundraisers, meeting with advisers and staging campaign events in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to Trump and his aides.
—David Jackson, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
The lush score and rich, evocative visual language add a sense of grandeur and occasional maturity to the show that the narrative and dialogue can’t generate on their own.
—Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
The kind of cops who leave their work at the office, go home to their families, and drink only the occasional beer or glass of wine at dinner.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
The 2023 livestream and occasional network coverage of Gwyneth Paltrow’s trial after being sued for a skiing accident was simply the logical conclusion of what the Simpson trial coverage started.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'occasional.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near occasional
Cite this Entry
“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occasional. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
occasional
adjective
oc·ca·sion·al
ə-ˈkāzh-nəl
-ən-ᵊl
1
: of, relating to, or created for a particular occasion
occasional verse
2
: happening, appearing, or met with now and then
an occasional visitor
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