Occur — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ə-ˈkər/ oc·cur

Meaning & Definition of Occur

Occur (verb)

  1. to be found or met with, appear
  2. to come into existence, happen
  3. to come to mind

Occur (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to take place

    "let me know when the lunar eclipse is scheduled to occur"

    similar: be, befall, betide, chance, come, come about, come down, come off, cook, do, go down (slang), go on, hap, happen, pass, transpire, come to pass
    related: break, develop, rise, shape (up), arise, come up, crop (up), materialize, spring (up), intervene, fall out, follow, result, turn out, go off, proceed

Related Entry: Occur (to) (verb)

Occur (to) is a different word from Occur. The synonyms below are for occur (to), not for occur.

  1. to enter the mind of

    "it didn't occur to me to ask until much later"

    similar: come (to), cross, dawn (on), strike
    related: recall, recollect, remember, reminisce, con, learn, memorize, appear, arrive, emerge, materialize
    near: forget, unlearn, disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook

Related Entry: Co-occur (verb)

Co-occur is a different word from Occur. The synonyms below are for co-occur, not for occur.

  1. to occur or exist at the same time

    "the chronic depression that so often co-occurs with drug abuse"

    similar: accompany, attend, coexist, coincide, concur, synchronize
    related: chance, hap, happen, transpire
    near: antedate, precede, predate, follow, succeed

Related Entry: Reoccur (verb)

Reoccur is a different word from Occur. The synonyms below are for reoccur, not for occur.

  1. to occur again

    "They took steps to prevent the problem from reoccurring."

    similar: recur, duplicate, redo, reduplicate, reiterate, remake, renew, replicate, reprise, recreate, reenact, reinvent

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Occur

The most common words with a similar meaning to Occur:

Slang: go down
be, befall, betide, chance, come, come about, come down, come off, cook, do, go on, hap, happen, pass, transpire, come to pass

Related Words for Occur

break, develop, rise, shape (up), arise, come up, crop (up), materialize, spring (up), intervene, fall out, follow, result, turn out, go off, proceed

Word Forms of Occur

Inflections: occurred, occurring

Origin & Etymology of Occur

borrowed from Latin occurrere "to run to meet, confront in a hostile manner, be met, present itself (to the mind)," from oc-, assimilated variant of ob- ob- + currere "to run, roll, move swiftly" current:1

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Occur

Words & Phrases Containing Occur

occur to, co-occur, reoccur

Frequently Asked Questions about Occur

What does "Occur" mean?

"Occur" means to be found or met with, appear. As a verb, it is defined as: to be found or met with, appear.

What is another word for "Occur"?

Other words for "Occur" include be, befall, betide, chance, come, come about, come down and come off. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Occur" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Occur"?

There are 33 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Occur". Common alternatives include be, befall, betide, chance, come, come about, come down, come off, cook and do.

How do you use "Occur" in a sentence?

Examples of "Occur" in a sentence: "let me know when the lunar eclipse is scheduled to occur".

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

"Occur" is a verb.

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

As a B1-level word, "Occur" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Occur"?

"Occur" is pronounced /ə-ˈkər/ and divided into syllables as oc·cur.

What is the origin of the word "Occur"?

"Occur" comes from borrowed from Latin occurrere "to run to meet, confront in a hostile manner, be met, present itself (to the mind)," from oc-, assimilated variant of ob- ob- + currere "to run, roll, move swiftly" current:1. First known use: 15th century.