occasionally

occasionally — adverb

1. at irregular times that are spread far apart, so the action happens a few times

1.adverbB2
Definition

at irregular times that are spread far apart, so the action happens a few times a month or year rather than every week.

Example

Marcus occasionally bakes bread on Sunday mornings when the weather is cold.

mid-sentence position: subject + occasionally + verb

Occasionally, Grandma Lin sends us a box of mooncakes from Taipei.

front-shifted: Occasionally, + clause for emphasis

Common collocations
  • occasionally visit
  • occasionally meet
  • occasionally check
  • occasionally happen
Synonyms
  • sometimes

    more frequent and more neutral; 'sometimes' suggests a clearer pattern, 'occasionally' implies wider gaps

  • now and then

    informal equivalent; very close in meaning, more conversational

  • from time to time

    slightly more formal phrasing; emphasises the irregular rhythm

  • intermittently

    more formal or technical; often used for processes or signals rather than personal habits

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

mid-sentence: subject + occasionally + verb

front-shifted: Occasionally, + clause

end-position: clause + occasionally

Usage Note

Position is flexible: mid-sentence (before the main verb, after 'be' or auxiliaries), front-shifted with a comma for emphasis, or end-position. Implies a lower frequency than 'sometimes' but a higher frequency than 'rarely' — typically suggests a handful of times across weeks or months.

Common Mistakes

I occasionally always cook at home.
I occasionally cook at home.
'occasionally' and 'always' contradict each other; pick one frequency adverb.
She visits occasionally her parents.
She visits her parents occasionally.
when at the end of a clause, 'occasionally' goes after the object, not between the verb and its object.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All five words describe events that happen more than once but not regularly. 'Sometimes' is the most neutral and most frequent in everyday speech; it covers any non-regular occurrence and can suggest a fairly dense pattern, like 'I sometimes walk to work' (perhaps two days a week). 'Occasionally' implies wider gaps — maybe once a month or once every few weeks: 'I occasionally walk to work' suggests a rarer event. 'Now and then' is the casual conversational version of 'occasionally'; it sits naturally in spoken English ('We meet now and then for coffee'). 'From time to time' is slightly more formal and emphasises the irregular rhythm. 'Intermittently' is the most formal and is often used for machines, signals, or symptoms rather than personal habits ('the wifi drops out intermittently').

occasionally ↗sometimes ↗now and thenfrom time to timeintermittently

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • only occasionally
  • just occasionally
  • very occasionally
  • more than occasionally

Phrases

  • occasionally see
  • occasionally happen
  • occasionally check in
  • occasionally drop by

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

Built from the adjective 'occasional' (a happening that comes from a particular 'occasion') plus the adverb-forming suffix '-ly'. 'Occasion' itself entered English in the late 14th century from Old French 'ochaison', from Latin 'occasio' meaning 'opportunity' or 'a falling toward', from 'occidere' ('to fall down, happen'). The adverb 'occasionally' has been used in its modern sense of 'now and then, at irregular intervals' since the early 17th century.