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
Azealia Banks, lightning rod and occasional oracle, is voting for Kamala Harris despite not liking her and previously supporting Trump.
—
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Kelly was once a respected journalist at Fox News, one of the network’s occasional examples of a more fair-and-balanced news person, as opposed to the far-right musings of Sean Hannity and the like.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
While everyone has off days or occasional hiccups, a consistent pattern of unprofessional behavior is a strong indicator that the collaboration may face serious issues down the road.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Many people who menstruate regularly experience an occasional anovulatory cycle.
—Corey Whelan, Verywell Health, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for occasional 
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.
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Kelly was once a respected journalist at Fox News, one of the network’s occasional examples of a more fair-and-balanced news person, as opposed to the far-right musings of Sean Hannity and the like.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
While everyone has off days or occasional hiccups, a consistent pattern of unprofessional behavior is a strong indicator that the collaboration may face serious issues down the road.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Many people who menstruate regularly experience an occasional anovulatory cycle.
—Corey Whelan, Verywell Health, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for occasional
Dictionary Entries Near occasional
Cite this Entry
“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occasional. Accessed 30 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share