adjective
occasional
Happening sometimes rather than regularly.
We take occasional walks along the river after dinner.
Etymology
Occasion names a particular time or event. Occasional describes something tied to separate occasions rather than a continuous or regular schedule.
More examples
- The forecast calls for occasional showers this afternoon.
- Even experienced cooks make occasional mistakes.
- She is an occasional visitor to our bookstore.
Forms
occasional
occasionally adverb — Sometimes, but not regularly or often.
Similar words
- sporadic
- Suggests irregular, scattered occurrences with no predictable pattern.
- infrequent
- Emphasizes rarity rather than a lack of regularity.
- intermittent
- Describes activity that stops and starts over time.