Synonyms
Example Sentences
Occasionally, things don’t go as planned.
Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
—
Christopher Michel, Country Living, 25 Mar. 2023
In a video from that Monaco qualifying, the tachometer overlay on the screen appears to occasionally show 18,000-rpm upshifts.
—Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 25 Mar. 2023
Although officially retired by the U.S. Air Force, F-117A stealth fighters are occasionally seen flown by contractors, mostly in the Death Valley area of California.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 24 Mar. 2023
At the time, Chip and Joanna’s business was just the two of them and occasionally a few subcontractors for larger projects, according to Texas Monthly.
—Sophie Dodd, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2023
Cornish occasionally struggles with post-NPR questions of identity.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2023
Heavier showers may include snow, hail, and occasionally thunder.
—oregonlive, 24 Mar. 2023
Paltrow took the stand in a black suit and occasionally seeming weary, or wryly amused, by the proceedings.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2023
The booze that James Bond is most associated with is, of course, the Martini (mostly vodka, sometimes gin, and occasionally even a Vesper).
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘occasionally.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English occasionaly «on a particular occasion, sometimes,» from occasyonal occasional + -ly -ly entry 2
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of occasionally was
in the 15th century
Dictionary Entries Near occasionally
Cite this Entry
“Occasionally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occasionally. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.
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27 Mar 2023
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From occasional + -ly.
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /əˈkeɪʒənəli/, /əˈkeɪʒnəli/, /əˈkeɪʒənli/
- Hyphenation: oc‧ca‧sion‧al‧ly,
- oc‧casi‧onal‧ly,
- oc‧casion‧ally
Adverb[edit]
occasionally (comparative more occasionally, superlative most occasionally)
- (obsolete) On the occasion of something else happening; incidentally, by the way. [15th–18th c.]
-
1588, G[abriel] H[arvey], “The Fourth Letter. To the Same Favourable or Indifferent Reader.”, in J[ohn] P[ayne] C[ollier], editor, Fovre Letters, and Certaine Sonnets, […] (Miscellaneous Tracts Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I), [London: s.n., published 1870], →OCLC, page 56:
-
Were nothing els diſcourſively inſerted (as ſome little elſe occaſionally preſented it ſelfe), what paper more currently fit for the bareſt mechanicall uſes, […]
-
- 1619, John Richardson, John Toland, The canon of the New Testament Vindicated, page 30
- I think it is plain, that Origen, whatever Character he may have occaſionally given of this Book, did not judge it any part of the Canon…
-
- From time to time; sometimes; at relatively infrequent intervals. [from 15th c.]
- Synonyms: now and then, once in a while
- 1639, Henry Ainsworth, Annotations Upon the Five Books of Moses, the Book of the Psalmes and the Song of Songs, page 177.
- God ſetteth no houres for the morning or evening ſacrifice because they may occaſionally be changed.
- 1855, Horace Mann, «On the Statistical Position of Religious Bodies in England and Wales,» Journal of the Statistical Society of London, vol. 18, no. 2, p. 152,
- Some perhaps worship only on alternate Sundays; others still more occasionally.
- 1978, Stephen R. Graubard, «Twenty Years of ‘Daedalus’,» Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, vol. 32, no. 3, p. 18,
- The journal, more occasionally, has turned to what might be called «fashionable» themes.
- 2007, Matt Gouras/AP, «Wildfires Rage in Montana,» Time, 17 Aug,
- Flames could still be seen from town flaring up occasionally on a hill dotted with emergency vehicles.
- (obsolete) By chance; accidentally. [17th–18th c.]
-
1751, [Tobias] Smollett, chapter 81, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume III, London: Harrison and Co., […], published 1781, →OCLC:
-
[N]othing gave him so much joy in conversation, as an opportunity of giving the company to understand, how well he was with persons of distinguished rank and character: he would often (for example) observe, as it were occasionally, that the duke of G— was one of the best natured men in the world […] .
-
- 1790, James Boswell, in Danziger & Brady (eds.), Boswell: The Great Biographer (Journals 1789–1795), Yale 1989, p. 103:
- I had met Lord Ossory in the forenoon, who had come to town occasionally.
-
Synonyms[edit]
- on occasion, sometimes, at times, now and then, see Thesaurus:occasionally
Translations[edit]
from time to time; now and then; once in a while; at infrequent intervals
- Armenian: երբեմն (hy) (erbemn)
- Assamese: মাজে মাজে (maze maze), কেতিয়াবা কেতিয়াবা (ketiaba ketiaba)
- Bulgarian: от време на време (ot vreme na vreme), понякога (bg) (ponjakoga)
- Catalan: ocasionalment (ca)
- Chinese:
- Cantonese: 耐唔耐 (yue) (noi6 m4 noi6-2), 有時／有时 (jau5 si4)
- Mandarin: 偶爾／偶尔 (zh) (ǒu’ěr, ǒu’ér), 偶然 (zh) (ǒurán)
- Cornish: treweythyow
- Czech: občas (cs), příležitostně
- Dutch: af en toe (nl), wel eens, nu en dan (nl), soms (nl)
- Esperanto: okaze, foje (eo), fojfoje (eo) (emphatic)
- Faroese: viðhvørt, av og á
- Finnish: joskus (fi), välillä (fi), välistä (fi), toisinaan (fi)
- French: occasionnellement (fr)
- Georgian: შემთხვევით (šemtxvevit)
- German: gelegentlich (de)
- Greek: περιστασιακά (el) (peristasiaká), πού και πού (el) (poú kai poú)
- Hausa: rana-rana
- Hungarian: néhanapján, alkalomadtán (hu), nagy ritkán, esetenként (hu), nagy néha
- Irish: fo-uair
- Italian: occasionalmente (it), saltuariamente (it), talvolta (it)
- Japanese: たまに (tamani), 偶に (tamani)
- Kabuverdianu: asbês
- Kazakh: рабайда (rabaida), рабайдабір (rabaidabır)
- Korean: 가끔 (ko) (gakkeum)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: جاربەجار (carbecar), جاروبار (carubar)
- Ladino: de vez en kuando
- Maltese: okkażjonalment
- Manx: nish as reesht
- Norwegian: sporadisk (no), av og til (no), nå og da
- Plautdietsch: enjawiess
- Polish: okazjonalnie (pl)
- Portuguese: ocasionalmente (pt)
- Romanian: ocazional (ro), câteodată (ro), uneori (ro)
- Russian: иногда́ (ru) (inogdá), и́зредка (ru) (ízredka), вре́мя от вре́мени (ru) (vrémja ot vrémeni)
- Scottish Gaelic: uaireannan, corra uair
- Serbo-Croatian: povremeno (sh), s vremena na vrijeme
- Slovak: príležitostne, občas, zriedkavo
- Slovene: občasno
- Spanish: ocasionalmente (es), de vez en cuando (es), a veces (es)
- Swedish: ibland (sv), då och då (sv)
- Ukrainian: зрі́дка (zrídka), час від ча́су (uk) (čas vid čásu)
- Vietnamese: đôi khi (vi)
- Welsh: yn achlysurol
иногда, изредка, время от времени, порой, случайно, подчас, нерегулярно
наречие ↓
- изредка, временами; время от времени, иногда
I see him occasionally — я изредка вижу его 
I go to the movies occasionally — я иногда /изредка/ хожу в кино
Мои примеры
Словосочетания
he was arrogant and occasionally callous — он был высокомерным и иногда чёрствым
his old art flashed out occasionally — иногда появлялись проблески его прежнего искусства
the garbage that occasionally passes fort art — мазня, которую иногда принимают за искусство
garbage that occasionally passes for art — мазня, которую иногда принимают за искусство
occasionally applied load — нагрузка случайного характера; непериодическая нагрузка
occasionally connected computing — вычисления без постоянного соединения с корпоративной сетью
pickerel would occasionally arrow surface — щука иногда выскакивает на поверхность воды
stir occasionally — изредка помешивать
very occasionally — в очень редких случаях
occasionally interrupted circuit — временами прерываемая цепь
drink occasionally — попивать
Примеры с переводом
We only see each other very occasionally (=rarely).
Мы видимся друг с другом лишь время от времени (т.е. редко).
I love occasionally to aberrate from routine.
Мне нравится иногда отойти от привычного распорядка.
I cook a meal for him occasionally and I run a vacuum over the place.
Время от времени я готовлю ему еду и провожу уборку с помощью пылесоса.
It was his fancy to fly to Paris occasionally for dinner.
У него был каприз: летать в Париж обедать.
Every summer periods of cool weather occasionally interrupt the intense heat.
Каждое лето сильная жара изредка прерывается периодами прохладной погоды.
She watches the kids for us occasionally.
Иногда она присматривает за нашими детьми.
Roosevelt occasionally attempted to circumvent him.
Время от времени Рузвельт пытался перехитрить его.
ещё 13 примеров свернуть
Примеры, ожидающие перевода
Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. 
…like any couple, they occasionally tiff, but it’s never anything serious…
Occasionally nerves and veins take maverick pathways and show up in unexpected places.
Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.
Возможные однокоренные слова
occasional — случайный, редкий, случающийся время от времени, случающийся иногда
occasionalism — окказионализм
Something that happens occasionally doesn’t happen all the time, just every once in a while. You play poker occasionally just to remind yourself that you always lose.
The adverb occasionally is good for things that happen every now and then. You get tired of the cold occasionally, but the snow is lovely. Occasionally, you think of your long lost love, but never write. The idea comes to you occasionally that you should move somewhere with more people and warmer weather. I worry about you occasionally.
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘occasionally’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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In a gas, motion has the upper hand; the atoms are moving so fast that they have no time to enter into any sort of combination with each other: occasionally, atom must meet atom and, so to speak, each hold out vain hands to the other, but the pace is too great and, in a moment, they are far away from each other again.
William Henry Bragg
PRONUNCIATION OF OCCASIONALLY
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF OCCASIONALLY
Occasionally is an adverb.
The adverb is an invariable part of the sentence that can change, explain or simplify a verb or another adverb.
WHAT DOES OCCASIONALLY MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Occasionalism
Occasionalism is a philosophical theory about causation which says that created substances cannot be efficient causes of events. Instead, all events are taken to be caused directly by God. The theory states that the illusion of efficient causation between mundane events arises out of God’s causing of one event after another. However, there is no necessary connection between the two: it is not that the first event causes God to cause the second event: rather, God first causes one and then causes the other.
Definition of occasionally in the English dictionary
The definition of occasionally in the dictionary is from time to time.
WORDS THAT RHYME WITH OCCASIONALLY
Synonyms and antonyms of occasionally in the English dictionary of synonyms
SYNONYMS OF «OCCASIONALLY»
The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «occasionally» and belong to the same grammatical category.
Translation of «occasionally» into 25 languages
TRANSLATION OF OCCASIONALLY
Find out the translation of occasionally to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of occasionally from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «occasionally» in English.
Translator English — Chinese
偶尔
1,325 millions of speakers
Translator English — Spanish
de vez en cuando
570 millions of speakers
Translator English — Hindi
कभी कभी
380 millions of speakers
Translator English — Arabic
مِن وَقْتٍ لِآخَرٍ
280 millions of speakers
Translator English — Russian
случайно
278 millions of speakers
Translator English — Portuguese
de vez em quando
270 millions of speakers
Translator English — Bengali
কদাচিৎ
260 millions of speakers
Translator English — Malay
Kadang-kadang
190 millions of speakers
Translator English — German
gelegentlich
180 millions of speakers
Translator English — Japanese
時折
130 millions of speakers
Translator English — Korean
때때로
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Javanese
Sok-sok
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Vietnamese
đôi khi
80 millions of speakers
Translator English — Tamil
எப்போதாவது
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Marathi
कधीकधी
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Turkish
bazen
70 millions of speakers
Translator English — Ukrainian
зрідка
40 millions of speakers
Translator English — Romanian
ocazional
30 millions of speakers
Translator English — Greek
περιστασιακά
15 millions of speakers
Translator English — Afrikaans
Soms
14 millions of speakers
Translator English — Swedish
ibland
10 millions of speakers
Translator English — Norwegian
nå og da
5 millions of speakers
Trends of use of occasionally
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «OCCASIONALLY»
The term «occasionally» is very widely used and occupies the 9.559 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «occasionally» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of occasionally
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «occasionally».
FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «OCCASIONALLY» OVER TIME
The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «occasionally» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «occasionally» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.
Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about occasionally
10 QUOTES WITH «OCCASIONALLY»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word occasionally.
It would not be a bad idea if bankers were to go and sit occasionally with politicians in their political surgeries, where they might get a sense of the injustice that some of the community feel about the banks.
When it comes to the point where you occasionally look forward to being in prison on the basis that you might be able to spend a day reading a book, the realization dawns that perhaps the situation has become a little more stressful than you would like.
I have been away a great deal in the daytime, occasionally at night.
I know what she used to do sometimes. She kept her best cape she wore on the street in there, and she used occasionally to go up there to get it and to take it into her room. She kept a great deal in the guest room drawers.
The party currently is about fund-raising and occasionally blasting out ads.
I hope for so much from every book I read. And time and again, I find myself disappointed. I look across my bookshelves and see hundreds of titles which in my memory seem merely mediocre or second-rate. Only occasionally does a novel appear for which I feel a lasting passion, a book that I think could in time become a classic.
In a gas, motion has the upper hand; the atoms are moving so fast that they have no time to enter into any sort of combination with each other: occasionally, atom must meet atom and, so to speak, each hold out vain hands to the other, but the pace is too great and, in a moment, they are far away from each other again.
In his holy flirtation with the world, God occasionally drops a handkerchief. These handkerchiefs are called saints.
It is well for people who think to change their minds occasionally in order to keep them clean. For those who do not think, it is best at least to rearrange their prejudices once in a while.
People, like sheep, tend to follow a leader — occasionally in the right direction.
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «OCCASIONALLY»
Discover the use of occasionally in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to occasionally and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
A Sportsman’s Library: 100 Essential, Engaging, Offbeat, and …
Continuing in that tradition, A Sportsman’s Library: 100 Essential, Engaging, Off-Beat, and Occasionally Odd Fishing and Hunting Books for the Adventurous Reader draws on the same wide-ranging curiosity and encyclopedic knowledge of …
2
STFU, Parents: The Jaw-Dropping, Self-Indulgent, and …
From posting photos of baby’s first poo and the intricacies of placental crafts to sanctimommies declaring their child the most beautiful kid in the world and criticizing the parenting skills of fellow Facebook “friends,” STFU, …
3
More Joel on Software: Further Thoughts on Diverse and …
This is a new selection of essays from the author’s web site, http://www.joelonsoftware.com.
4
Occasionally: Collected Poems of J. D. Evans
Covering such topics as gypsy moths, Pac-Man, Halley’s comet, Reagonomics, fatherhood, cold nights, children, mortality, Mother’s Day, the Mob, Miss America, Monopoly, and taxes, these poems show something of the soul of the 1980s, and of …
J. D. Evans, Jason Murk, 2009
5
Gimme Something Better: The Profound, Progressive, and …
Compiled by longtime Bay Area journalists Jack Boulware and Silke Tudor, Gimme Something Better chronicles more than two decades of punk music, progressive politics, social consciousness, and divine decadence, told by the people who made it …
Jack Boulware, Silke Tudor, 2009
6
Rising to the Occasion: A Practical Companion for the …
Provides information on a host of skills and graces, including opening a bottle of champagne, arranging flowers, writing a thank-you note, and repairing a hem. Reprint.
Edith Hazard, Wallace Pinfold, 2001
Occasionally Yours This book helps you to come face to face with feelings, emotions, situations and circumstances that we all experience at one point or another in our lives.
8
The Conclave: A Sometimes Secret and Occasionally Bloody …
In The Conclave, prominent Catholic historian Michael Walsh takes readers through the history of conclaves past, highlighting the vendettas, feuds, and political intrigues that have colored the selection of a new pontiff.
9
The Opposition. To be Published Occasionally
THE OPPOSITION. To be published occasionally. — Contra audentior ito. Vmo. * 7
5 5- 0 It 1 THE OPPOSITION. To be publi/hed occasionally. • -. LONDON, fold by
M, Cooper* in Pattr-nosttT’Rsw.
10
Occasionally Connected Wireless Sensor Networks for Search …
Mobile wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have to be robust against the limitations of the underlying platform.
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «OCCASIONALLY»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term occasionally is used in the context of the following news items.
Sitcoms occasionally find laughs in grammar
Popular TV series are probably the last places you’d expect to find grammar lessons, but, occasionally, the box can improve your vox. «Tribune-Review, Jul 15»
The hidden silly side of higher education
Many figures in scientific papers are a little lacking in inspiration. Occasionally they are even lacking in data. However, if you look hard enough, … «Times Higher Education, Jul 15»
Jackets have youth at receiver
We have too many drops occasionally and we lose focus, but when we’re on our game we look pretty good,” said the coach. He believes the … «The Middlesboro Daily News, Jul 15»
Earthbound Beginnings Review
Anachronistic translation issues do occasionally interrupt the general charm of the storytelling, such as the otherwise- tender phone … «IGN, Jul 15»
Windows 10 Build 10240 is the RTM version, but Microsoft wishes …
… installed on your Service Pack or original installation, and the company only occasionally released updates for application-level functionality. «ExtremeTech, Jul 15»
Giant Squid Caught On Video By Startled Russian Sailors
Giant squid sightings happen occasionally, but the bulk of the animals are usually found dead, washed up on a beach or trapped in fishermen’s … «Huffington Post, Jul 15»
Dallas Cowboys Preseason Exhibition Schedule 2015
… Peterson boasts 10,190 career rushing yards and his speed, and quick feet, will be a good test against a Cowboys defense that occasionally … «Heavy.com, Jul 15»
Disney remade Tangled and Frozen using emojis
… the little phone people singing, dancing, and occasionally stabbing each other in the face (in a Disney-esque, kid-friendly manner, of course). «A.V. Club Milwaukee, Jul 15»
I never leave home without . . .
Very occasionally I’ll look over the notes — every couple of months or so, when I’m looking for my Hong Kong metro card. My dad came on a … «Financial Times, Jul 15»
Game of Thrones: What We Know About Season 6
Plus, we’ve occasionally had, by this point, confirmation from executive producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff about something regarding the … «IGN, Jul 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Occasionally [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/occasionally>. Apr 2023 ».
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