OCCASIONAL

periodic, occasional

(adjective) recurring or reappearing from time to time; “periodic feelings of anxiety”

occasional

(adjective) occurring from time to time; “took an occasional glass of wine”

episodic, occasional

(adjective) occurring or appearing at usually irregular intervals; “episodic in his affections”; “occasional headaches”

casual, occasional

(adjective) occurring on a temporary or irregular basis; “casual employment”; “a casual correspondence with a former teacher”; “an occasional worker”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adjective

occasional (not comparable)

Occurring or appearing irregularly from time to time, but not often.

Created for a specific occasion.

Intended for use as the occasion requires.

Acting in the indicated role from time to time.

Noun

occasional (plural occasionals)

A person who does something only occasionally.

Source: Wiktionary


Oc*ca"sion*al, a. Etym: [Cf.F. occasionnel.]

1. 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. The... occasional writing of the present times. Bagehot.

2. Produced by accident; as, the occasional origin of a thing. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne. Occasional cause (Metaph.), some circumstance preceding an effect which, without being the real cause, becomes the occasion of the action of the efficient cause; thus, the act of touching gunpowder with fire is the occasional, but not the efficient, cause of an explosion.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 June 2025

PEOPLE

(noun) members of a family line; “his people have been farmers for generations”; “are your people still alive?”


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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