occasional

occasional — adjective

1. describing something that you do, see, or experience only a few times — with lon

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing something that you do, see, or experience only a few times — with long, uneven gaps between each time, rather than on any fixed schedule.

Example

Mei treated herself to an occasional glass of red wine on Friday evenings.

attributive: an occasional + countable noun

The forecast warned of occasional showers across Taipei throughout the weekend.

weather collocation: occasional showers / rain

Common collocations
  • an occasional drink
  • an occasional cigarette
  • the occasional headache
  • occasional showers
  • an occasional visitor
Synonyms
  • infrequent

    more formal; emphasises low total count rather than irregular spacing

  • intermittent

    stresses starting and stopping repeatedly, often of signals, pain, or rain

  • sporadic

    unpredictable timing, often with a slightly negative tone (sporadic violence, outages)

  • periodic

    happens at roughly regular gaps, unlike 'occasional' which is irregular

Antonyms
  • frequent

    direct opposite — happens often

  • regular

    happens on a fixed schedule

  • constant

    happens all the time without breaks

Grammar Patterns

occasional + noun

Usage Note

Almost always used before a noun, not after a linking verb — say 'an occasional headache', not '*the headache was occasional*'. Distinguish from 'rare' (even less frequent, often surprising) and 'frequent' (the direct opposite).

Common Mistakes

My visits to the gym are occasional.
I make occasional visits to the gym.
'occasional' normally sits before the noun, not after a linking verb.
She drinks coffee occasional.
She drinks coffee occasionally.
for 'sometimes' as an adverb, use 'occasionally', not 'occasional'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe events that do not happen all the time, but they sit at different points on the frequency-and-pattern map. 'Occasional' is the everyday, neutral choice for things you do or see now and then, with uneven gaps — an occasional drink, an occasional visitor. 'Infrequent' feels more formal and quantitative; it stresses how few the events are overall. 'Intermittent' highlights a stop-start rhythm — intermittent rain, intermittent power. 'Sporadic' adds unpredictability and often a hint of trouble: sporadic outbreaks, sporadic gunfire. 'Periodic' is the odd one out: it suggests a roughly regular cycle, like periodic check-ups. So you'd say 'an occasional headache' for casual chat, but 'periodic medical reviews' on a hospital form.

occasional ↗infrequentintermittent ↗sporadicperiodic ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • occasional visitor
  • occasional customer
  • occasional showers
  • occasional drink
  • occasional cigarette
  • occasional headache
  • occasional reminder
  • occasional papers
  • occasional lectures

Adverbs

  • only occasional
  • very occasional
  • purely occasional

Phrases

  • an occasional glass of wine
  • apart from the occasional ...
  • with the occasional ...

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Built from the noun 'occasion' (a particular moment or event when something happens) plus the adjective-forming suffix '-al', meaning 'relating to'. So 'occasional' literally means 'belonging to particular occasions' — and over time it narrowed to mean 'happening only on the odd occasion, not regularly'. 'Occasion' itself reached English from Old French in the 14th century, tracing back to Latin 'occasio' (a falling-together of events, an opportunity), from 'occidere' meaning 'to fall down' or 'to happen'.