What does Occasional mean?

Definitions for Occasional
əˈkeɪ ʒə nloc·ca·sion·al

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Occasional.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. occasional(a)adjective

    occurring from time to time

    "took an occasional glass of wine"

  2. episodic, occasionaladjective

    occurring or appearing at usually irregular intervals

    "episodic in his affections"; "occasional headaches"

  3. casual, occasionaladjective

    occurring from time to time

    "casual employment"; "a casual correspondence with a former teacher"; "an occasional worker"

  4. periodic, occasionaladjective

    recurring or reappearing from time to time

    "periodic feelings of anxiety"

GCIDE

  1. Occasionaladjective

    Of or pertaining to an occasion or to occasions; intended for a specific occasion; for use only when needed, and not regularly.

Wiktionary

  1. occasionaladjective

    Occurring or appearing irregularly from time to time.

    He was mostly solitary, but enjoyed the occasional visitor.

  2. occasionaladjective

    Not very often.

    He took an occasional glass of wine.

  3. occasionaladjective

    Created for a specific occasion.

    Elgar's music was not created to be occasional music for high-school graduations.

  4. occasionaladjective

    Intended for use as the occasion requires.

    What your living room needs are some occasional chairs.

  5. occasionaladjective

    Acting in the indicated role from time to time.

    He is an occasional contributor to letters to the editor.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Occasionaladjective

    Etymology: occasionel, Fr. from occasion.

    Thus much is sufficient out of scripture, to verify our explication of the deluge, according to the Mosaical history of the flood, and according to many occasional reflections dispersed in other places of scripture concerning it. Burnet.

    The ground or occasional original hereof, was the amazement and sudden silence the unexpected appearance of wolves does often put upon travellers. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

    Those letters were not writ to all;
    Nor first intended but occasional,
    Their absent sermons. John Dryden, Hind. and Panth.

ChatGPT

  1. occasional

    Occasional refers to something that happens or appears from time to time in irregular, infrequent intervals, or happens on special or random occasions rather than on a continuous, regular, or systematic basis. It also refers to something that is performed, used, or suitable for specific events or occasions.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Occasionaladjective

    of or pertaining to an occasion or to occasions; occuring at times, but not constant, regular, or systematic; made or happening as opportunity requires or admits; casual; incidental; as, occasional remarks, or efforts

  2. Occasionaladjective

    produced by accident; as, the occasional origin of a thing

  3. Etymology: [Cf. F. occasionnel.]

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Occasional' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3616

  2. Adjectives Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Occasional' in Adjectives Frequency: #491

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce Occasional?

How to say Occasional in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Occasional in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Occasional in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of Occasional in a Sentence

  1. Linda Wasmer Andrews:

    Socially, playing together allows children to practice making friends, getting along, taking turns and being both a leader and a follower, children benefit even when things don’t always go their way. Letting kids be tagged ‘it’or lose an occasional game of kickball gives them a chance to develop resiliency skills that will serve them well later in life.

  2. Lisa Cadmus-Bertram:

    A tracker will give you the occasional crazy reading, but most of the readings will be quite a bit closer than that.

  3. Robert Benchley:

    Except for an occasional heart attack I feel as young as I ever did.

  4. H. L. Wayland:

    Show us a man who never makes a mistake and we will show you a man who never makes anything. The capacity for occasional blundering is inseparable from the capacity to bring things to pass. The only men who are past the danger of making mistakes are the men who sleep at Greenwood.

  5. Buzz Aldrin:

    I am using past history … and probabilities here and there – sometimes it’s called an educated guess, i think it’s going to work out real well because what we need is some kind of consistency with occasional surprise – you need to know when to throw in the unusual.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Occasional#1#8529#10000

Translations for Occasional

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"Occasional." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 12 Mar. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Occasional>.

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    a state of irritation or annoyance
    A huff
    B flub
    C abrade
    D knead

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