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

• here and there
• now
• now and then
• 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

She was seen occasionally moving it out of the way (an understandable, natural instinct) with her French manicure, but the peek-a-boo look really added to the drama of the overall ensemble. —Marci Robin, Allure, 13 Dec. 2024

She is reduced to her function as a mother and, occasionally, as a wife. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2024

There’s also an onstage keyboardist, Miles Messier, who occasionally gets brought into the action. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 13 Dec. 2024

Artificial intelligence models do much more than generate (occasionally accurate) text responses and (somewhat) realistic videos. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 Dec. 2024

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