occasion

uh-KAY-zhuhn/əˈkeɪʒən/

Pluraloccasions

Verboccasions, occasioning, occasioned

10 meanings of occasion

Practice

1
nouncountable
A particular instance or moment in time when a specific thing took place.
On more than one occasion, the committee failed to reach a decision.
I can recall the exact occasion when we first met.
Similartime, moment, instant, juncture, minute
Note
Counting is where this meaning is most at home: two separate occasions, various occasions, more than one occasion. It takes the preposition on, as in on this occasion or on two occasions. It also pairs with adjectives that measure the moment, as in 'a momentous occasion in the history of South Africa'. The Deele's 1987 song 'Two Occasions' plays on that counting: the two occasions are day and night.
2
nouncountable
A special event or formal function, such as a celebration or ceremony.
The gala was a glittering occasion attended by hundreds of guests.
They dressed formally to mark the occasion.
Similarevent, function, affair, celebration
3
nouncountable
The particular moment or point in time at which a given event takes place.
On the occasion of the building's opening, the mayor gave a speech.
He spoke warmly on the occasion of their anniversary.
4
nouncountable
A favorable opportunity: a convenient or well-timed chance to do something.
The conference offered an ideal occasion to meet potential investors.
She seized the occasion to thank everyone who had helped her.
Similaropportunity, chance
Note
Latin supplies the picture behind it: occāsiō comes from occidō, ob- 'down' plus cadō 'fall', so an occasion is the moment that falls into your path. It is something you take or seize. Tyndale's New Testament of 1526 has sin that 'toke occasion', and Fielding in Tom Jones speaks of having 'taken every Occasion'. In this meaning it usually leads into a to-infinitive: the occasion to speak, to act.
5
nouncountable or uncountable
A happening or set of circumstances that brings about some event or reaction; a motive or reason.
The border incident was the immediate occasion for the conflict.
Her letter was the occasion of much soul-searching.
Similarcause, trigger, reason
6
nouncountable or uncountable
A thing or circumstance that brings something else into being; the cause of an effect.
The treaty was the occasion of decades of peace.
That single mistake was the occasion of his downfall.
Similarcause, source
7
noununcountable
A reason or excuse offered for doing something; a motive or grounds for action.
The minor delay gave them occasion for complaint.
You have given me no occasion to doubt your honesty.
Similarreason, cause, grounds
8
verbtransitive
To bring something about as its cause; to produce or give rise to a result.
Such reforms often occasion fierce debate among lawmakers.
His remarks occasioned a wave of protest across the country.
Similarcause, provoke, prompt, spark
Note
The verb puts the 'cause' noun into action, and it is often found in the passive: 'occasioned by a change of polarity.' It names real causation, not mere association. The Railway Magazine of 1951 draws that line exactly, describing a tunnel 'associated with, but not actually occasioned by' a line's electrification. Carlyle uses the verb for surprise, and the same magazine uses it for discomfort to travelers.
9
noununcountable
A need or requirement for something; a necessity that calls for it.
Should you have occasion for assistance, the office is always open.
They had no occasion for such expensive equipment.
Similarneed, call
Note
Need is the meaning in the frames have occasion for and have occasion to, as in 'I have no occasion for firearms.' The American novelist Winston Churchill's The Celebrity (1897) writes 'I had occasion… to make a somewhat long business trip.' Earlier writers also used the plural for one's own affairs or needs: Jeremy Taylor's 'our own occasions', and Burke's 'When my occasions took me into France'.

Less common meaning

10
nounobsoletecountable
An occurrence or incident; an event that takes place.
Similarevent, incident, occurrence, episode, happening
Note
The language has let this neutral use go: occasion as a plain word for any event or happening. A modern reader will hear the word as a particular instance or a special event instead, so a sentence like 'a curious occasion last night' will be read in one of those ways. For a simple happening, choose event, happening or incident.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of occasion apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Middle English occasioun, borrowed through Middle and Old French from Latin occāsiōnem, a noun formed from the verb occidō. That verb combines the prefix ob- ('down', 'away') with cadō ('fall').