# occasional

Pronunciation: say "uh-KAY-zhuh-nuhl" /əˈkeɪʒ(ə)nəl/

## Adjective

1. Happening or appearing irregularly from time to time, but not often.
   - Simple: Happening or showing up now and then, but not very often.
   - _He suffers from occasional headaches after long days at the screen._
   - _Apart from an occasional setback, the project moved along on schedule._
2. Performing the indicated role from time to time rather than regularly.
   - Simple: Doing a certain job or role only sometimes, not all the time.
   - _As an occasional columnist, she submits a piece only a few times a year._
   - _The band hired an occasional drummer for the songs that needed two._
3. Intended to be used as a particular occasion calls for it rather than every day.
   - Simple: Meant to be used only when a certain need comes up, not all the time.
   - _The showroom displayed a range of occasional tables sized for small living rooms._
   - _She set out the occasional glassware reserved for holiday dinners._
4. Made or written for one particular event or occasion.
   - Simple: Made or written for one special event.
   - _The composer produced an occasional cantata for the cathedral's reopening._
   - _His occasional verses celebrated births, victories, and royal birthdays._

## Noun

5. A person who does something only from time to time rather than regularly.
   - Simple: Someone who does a thing only now and then, not regularly.
   - _The choir relies on a core group of singers plus a handful of occasionals._
   - _He was hired not as a full-timer but as an occasional, called in when orders piled up._

## Origin

From Middle English occasyonal, which came from Medieval Latin occāsiōnālis and Old French ocasionel; it can be analyzed as occasion + -al.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/occasional (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).