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adj. 1. Occurring, encountered, done, or taken from time to time; irregular or infrequent. See Synonyms at periodic. 2. Created for a special occasion: occasional verse. 3. Intended for use as the occasion requires: an occasional chair. 4. Being a factor that makes something possible; being a cause of something. 5. Acting in a specified capacity from time to time: an occasional hunter. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
