Occasional — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ə-ˈkā-zh(ə-)nəl/ oc·ca·sion·al

Meaning & Definition of Occasional

Occasional (adjective)

  1. of or relating to a particular occasion
  2. created for a particular occasion
  3. acting as the occasion or contributing cause of something

Occasional (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence

    "the weekend forecast is for occasional showers"

    similar: aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy, discontinuous, episodic, erratic, fitful, intermittent, irregular, spasmodic, spastic, sporadic, spotty, unsteady
    related: convulsive, sudden, violent, broken, disconnected, fragmentary, interrupted, aimless, arbitrary, desultory, haphazard, hit-and-miss, hit-or-miss, odd, random, scattered, slapdash, stray, capricious, changeful, changing, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled, unstable, varying, wavering, changeable, fickle, variable, volatile
    opposite: constant, continuous, habitual, periodic, regular, repeated, steady
    near: changeless, equable, even, stable, stationary, uniform, unchanging, unvarying, unwavering, methodical, orderly, systematic, unrelenting, unremitting

  2. not often occurring or repeated

    "an occasional mechanical problem with our car, but nothing serious"

    similar: infrequent, isolated, odd, rare, sporadic, few and far between
    related: scarce, scattered, uncommon, unique, unusual, choppy, discontinuous, erratic, fitful, intermittent, irregular, spasmodic, spotty, unsteady
    opposite: frequent
    near: daily, regular, common, ordinary, routine

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Occasional

The most common words with a similar meaning to Occasional:

aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy, discontinuous, episodic, erratic, fitful, intermittent, irregular, spasmodic, spastic, sporadic, spotty, unsteady, infrequent, isolated, odd, rare, few and far between

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Occasional

Words with the opposite meaning of Occasional:

constant, continuous, habitual, periodic, regular, repeated, steady, frequent

Related Words for Occasional

convulsive, sudden, violent, broken, disconnected, fragmentary, interrupted, aimless, arbitrary, desultory, haphazard, hit-and-miss, hit-or-miss, random, scattered, slapdash, stray, capricious, changeful, changing, flickery, fluctuating, fluid, inconstant, mercurial, mutable, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unsettled

Near Antonyms of Occasional

changeless, equable, even, stable, stationary, uniform, unchanging, unvarying, unwavering, methodical, orderly, systematic, unrelenting, unremitting, daily, common, ordinary, routine

Origin & Etymology of Occasional

Middle English occasyonal "occurring at intervals," borrowed from Medieval Latin occāsiōnālis "opportune, incidental," from occāsiōn-, occāsiō occasion:1 + Latin -ālis -al:1

First known use: 1611

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Occasional

Frequently Asked Questions about Occasional

What does "Occasional" mean?

"Occasional" means of or relating to a particular occasion. As an adjective, it is defined as: of or relating to a particular occasion. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Occasional"?

Other words for "Occasional" include aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy, discontinuous, episodic, erratic and fitful. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Occasional" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Occasional"?

There are 61 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Occasional". Common alternatives include aperiodic, casual, catchy, choppy, discontinuous, episodic, erratic, fitful, intermittent and irregular.

What is the opposite of "Occasional"?

Antonyms of "Occasional" include constant, continuous, habitual, periodic, regular, repeated, steady and frequent. Near antonyms include changeless, equable, even and stable.

How do you use "Occasional" in a sentence?

Examples of "Occasional" in a sentence: "the weekend forecast is for occasional showers"; "an occasional mechanical problem with our car, but nothing serious".

Is "Occasional" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Occasional" is an adjective.

Is "Occasional" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Occasional" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Occasional"?

"Occasional" is pronounced /ə-ˈkā-zh(ə-)nəl/ and divided into syllables as oc·ca·sion·al.