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View synonyms for occasion

occasion

[ uh-key-zhuhn ]

noun

  1. a particular time, especially as marked by certain circumstances or occurrences:

    They met on three occasions.

  2. a special or important time, event, ceremony, celebration, etc.:

    His birthday will be quite an occasion.

  3. a convenient or favorable time, opportunity, or juncture:

    This slack period would be a good occasion to take inventory.

    Synonyms: opening, chance

  4. the immediate or incidental cause or reason for some action or result:

    What is the occasion for this uproar?

    Synonyms: influence, inducement, motive

  5. (in the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead) the coincidence of the eternal objects forming a specific point-event.
  6. occasions, Obsolete.
    1. needs or necessities.
    2. necessary business matters:

      to go about one's lawful occasions.



verb (used with object)

  1. to give occasion or cause for; bring about.

    Synonyms: create, produce, originate, motivate

occasion

/ əˈkeɪʒən /

noun

  1. sometimes foll by of the time of a particular happening or event
  2. sometimes foll by for a reason or cause (to do or be something); grounds

    there was no occasion to complain

  3. an opportunity (to do something); chance
  4. a special event, time, or celebration

    the party was quite an occasion

  5. on occasion
    every so often
  6. rise to the occasion
    to have the courage, wit, etc, to meet the special demands of a situation
  7. take occasion
    to avail oneself of an opportunity (to do something)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


verb

  1. tr to bring about, esp incidentally or by chance
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other Words From

  • preoc·casioned adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of occasion1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English occasioun, from Old French occasion, from Latin occāsiōn-, stem of occāsiō, literally, “a falling out,” from occās(us) “fallen down” (past participle of occidere “to fall down, set,” from oc- oc- + -cidere, combining form of cadere “to fall”) + -iō -ion
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Word History and Origins

Origin of occasion1

C14: from Latin occāsiō a falling down, from occidere, from ob- down + cadere to fall
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. on occasion, now and then; from time to time; occasionally:

    She visits New York on occasion.

More idioms and phrases containing occasion

see on occasion ; rise to the occasion .
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Synonym Study

See cause.
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Example Sentences

For a special occasion, or in the company of wine lovers, this is an exquisite pick.

From Eater

So, for now, set your sights on a special occasion and plan it out together with your partner.

Staff also testified that they saw women leave Salsman’s office “in tears or distress” on multiple occasions.

Whether the occasion calls for dinner and drinks after indulging in Sundance’s best films or lunch before hitting the slopes, Park City’s restaurants do it all.

From Eater

This pair from Outdoor Voices is made from an incredibly soft polyester-spandex blend that keeps me comfortable while I’m lounging around at home, and the fitted silhouette helps me feel put together on the rare occasions I actually leave the house.

Last week I turned 40, a bittersweet occasion because I crossed the line to living longer without my mother than with her.

To Hitchcock, this is not a sweet wire from an old colleague but a condolence letter on the occasion of his own death.

It was also an occasion for voluptuary displays of tough-mindedness.

But the occasion is even more special when you can cheers with some funky flutes.

The government defines excessive drinking as drinking too much on one occasion over the course of a week.

Some were even re-arrested for the same nefarious purpose, and the daily papers published their names on each occasion.

Fatigue he never knew, and on one occasion he was said to have spent thirteen days and nights in the saddle.

Sometimes necessity makes an honest man a knave: and a rich man a honest man, because he has no occasion to be a knave.

Mr. Brown seizes the proffered member, and gives it as hearty a pressure as the publicity of the occasion will permit.

The occasion should be seized also to increase the balances of depositors who carry unprofitable accounts.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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occas.occasional