# occasionally

/əˈkeɪʒənəɫi/ (US) · /əkˈeɪʒənəli/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/occasionally
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. from time to time

adverb · CEFR B1

sometimes, but not regularly or frequently.

For teachers: at relatively infrequent or irregular intervals; from time to time.

- We still see our old neighbors occasionally for coffee in the park.
- Although the software is generally reliable, it occasionally crashes when processing large video files without sufficient memory.

Usage: As a frequency adverb, it can be placed before the main verb, at the beginning of a sentence, or at the very end.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse this with 'sometimes'. Explain that 'occasionally' suggests a lower frequency than 'sometimes' and feels slightly more formal.

## Examples

- I occasionally walk to work when the weather is nice.
- We occasionally meet for coffee on Saturday mornings, though we don't have a fixed schedule.
- While the software is generally stable, users may occasionally encounter minor graphical glitches when running multiple high-demand applications simultaneously.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.