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
Breezy conditions will develop in the afternoon, with a northwest wind at 10-20 mph and occasional higher gusts.
—
Andrew Kozak, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Restaurants fill with locals, hotel guests, and the occasional visitor from up the coast.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
But of all the doorstoppers, this book—despite its creator’s occasional fondness for the taste of feet in his own mouth—has long felt suited to the slow boiling family drama treatment.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Younger adults and men were more likely to engage in occasional binge-drinking, the study found.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for occasional
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Andrew Kozak, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Restaurants fill with locals, hotel guests, and the occasional visitor from up the coast.
—Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
But of all the doorstoppers, this book—despite its creator’s occasional fondness for the taste of feet in his own mouth—has long felt suited to the slow boiling family drama treatment.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Younger adults and men were more likely to engage in occasional binge-drinking, the study found.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for occasional
Cite this Entry
“Occasional.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occasional. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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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