occasionally

adverb

oc·​ca·​sion·​al·​ly ə-ˈkā-zh(ə-)nə-lē 

: on occasion : now and then

dines out occasionally

We occasionally see deer in the field.

Synonyms of occasionally

• sometimes

Examples of occasionally in a Sentence

Occasionally, things don't go as planned.

Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Though occasionally out of their depth, staff are always enthusiastic. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

There is humiliation here, claustrophobia, physical vulnerability and an intimacy that occasionally brushes against the erotic. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Both were under the age of 40 and were widely known as boatmen who occasionally worked for drug traffickers. — Nathan Jaccard, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

And keyboard manufacturers occasionally implement longer-than-necessary debounce times to compensate for switch degradation over time. — ArsTechnica, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English occasionaly "on a particular occasion, sometimes," from occasyonal occasional + -ly -ly entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing occasionally

• very occasionally

Kids Definition

occasionally

adverb

oc·​ca·​sion·​al·​ly -ē 

: from time to time

occasionally goes to the movies