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
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
When do most of us wear gowns outside of the occasional black tie wedding?
—
Sarah Boyd, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
According to Vasudevan, short-haired breeds typically need brushing once a week and occasional baths, while medium to long-haired breeds, like the golden retriever in the clip, may need brushing a few times a week to prevent tangles.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
Its weakness is an intermittent lack of vulnerability and an occasional disinclination to leave all of that behind and pull out individual characters who have figured out that their travails flow from the difficulty of stopping American family life from turning into a Sam Shepard play.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
Granted, bad movies usually don't get a shot at taking the biggest prize on Oscar night, but mediocre projects, occasional head-scratchers and the odd controversial pot-stirrer do make their way into best picture from time to time – and some even win.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occasional
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Sarah Boyd, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
According to Vasudevan, short-haired breeds typically need brushing once a week and occasional baths, while medium to long-haired breeds, like the golden retriever in the clip, may need brushing a few times a week to prevent tangles.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
Its weakness is an intermittent lack of vulnerability and an occasional disinclination to leave all of that behind and pull out individual characters who have figured out that their travails flow from the difficulty of stopping American family life from turning into a Sam Shepard play.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
Granted, bad movies usually don't get a shot at taking the biggest prize on Oscar night, but mediocre projects, occasional head-scratchers and the odd controversial pot-stirrer do make their way into best picture from time to time – and some even win.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occasional
Cite this Entry
“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occasional. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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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