Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Occasion
Oc-ca′sion
(ŏk-kā′zhŭn)
, Noun.
1.
A falling out, happening, or coming to pass; hence, that which falls out or happens; occurrence; incident; event.
The unlooked-for incidents of family history, and its hidden excitements, and its arduous
occasions
. I. Taylor.
2.
A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance; convenience.
Sin, taking
occasion
by the commandment, deceived me. Rom. vii. 11.
I’ll take the
Him to his death.
occasion
which he gives to bringHim to his death.
Waller.
3.
An occurrence or condition of affairs which brings with it some unlooked-for event; that which incidentally brings to pass an event, without being its efficient cause or sufficient reason; accidental or incidental cause.
Her beauty was the
occasion
of the war. Dryden.
4.
Need; exigency; requirement; necessity;
as, I have no
. occasion
for firearmsAfter we have served ourselves and our own
occasions
. Jer. Taylor.
When my
occasions
took me into France. Burke.
5.
A reason or excuse; a motive; a persuasion.
Whose manner was, all passengers to stay,
And entertain with her
And entertain with her
occasions
sly. Spenser.
Syn. – Need; incident; use. See
Opportunity
. Oc-ca′sion
(ŏk-kā′zhŭn)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Occasioned
(ŏk-kā′zhŭnd)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Occasioning
.] [Cf. F.
occasionner
.] To give occasion to; to cause; to produce; to induce;
as, to
. occasion
anxietySouth.
If we inquire what it is that
occasions
men to make several combinations of simple ideas into distinct modes. Locke.
Webster 1828 Edition
Occasion
OCCA'SION
,Noun.
1.
Properly, a falling, happening or coming to; an occurrence, casualty, incident; something distinct from the ordinary course or regular orders of things.2.
Opportunity; convenience; favorable time, season or circumstances.I'll take th' occasion which he give to bring him to his death.
Use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh. Gal. 5.
Sin taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me.
Rom. 7.
3.
Accidental cause; incident, event or fact giving rise to something else. What was the occasion of this custom?Her beauty was the occasion of the war.
4.
Incidental need; casual exigency; opportunity accompanied with need or demand. So we say, we have occasion for all our resources. We have frequent occasions for assisting each other.The ancient canons were well fitted for the occasion of the church in its purer ages.
My occasions have found time to use them toward a supply of money.
OCCA'SION
,Verb.
T.
1.
To cause incidentally; to cause; to produce. The expectation of war occasions a depression in the price of stocks. Consumptions are often occasioned by colds. Indigestion occasions pain in the head. Heat occasions lassitude.2.
To influence; to cause.If we inquire what it is that occasions men to make several combinations of simple ideas into distinct modes -
Definition 2024
occasion
occasion
English
Noun
occasion (plural occasions)
- A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance. [from 14th c.]
- Bible, Rom. vii. 11
- Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me.
- Waller
- I'll take the occasion which he gives to bring / Him to his death.
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Book IV, chapter i
- That our work, therefore, might be in no danger of being likened to the labours of these historians, we have taken every occasion of interspersing through the whole sundry similes, descriptions, and other kind of poetical embellishments.
- Bible, Rom. vii. 11
- The time when something happens.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 13, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
- And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them.
- At this point, she seized the occasion to make her own observation.
-
- An occurrence or state of affairs which causes some event or reaction; a motive or reason. [from 14th c.]
- I had no occasion to feel offended, however.
- Something which causes something else; a cause. [from 14th c.]
- 1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, in Kupperman 1988, p. 130:
- it were too vile to say, and scarce to be beleeved, what we endured: but the occasion was our owne, for want of providence, industrie and government [...].
- 1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, in Kupperman 1988, p. 130:
- (obsolete) An occurrence or incident. [14th-18th c.]
- A particular happening; an instance or time when something occurred. [from 15th c.]
- I could think of two separate occasions when she had deliberately lied to me.
- Need; requirement, necessity. [from 16th c.]
- 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 2, in The Celebrity:
- I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railway station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town. I was completely mystified at such an unusual proceeding.
- I have no occasion for firearms.
- Jeremy Taylor
- after we have served ourselves and our own occasions
- Burke
- when my occasions took me into France
-
- A special event or function. [from 19th c.]
- Having people round for dinner was always quite an occasion at our house.
- A reason or excuse; a motive; a persuasion.
- Spenser
- Whose manner was, all passengers to stay, / And entertain with her occasions sly.
- Spenser
Derived terms
Translations
happening
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favorable opportunity
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occurrence which brings with it some unlooked-for event; motive, reason
need
Verb
occasion (third-person singular simple present occasions, present participle occasioning, simple past and past participle occasioned)
- (transitive) To to cause; to produce; to induce
- it is seen that the mental changes are occasioned by a change of polarity
Translations
give occasion to
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Statistics
Most common English words before 1923: entirely · system · sister · #727: occasion · enemy · perfect · bright
French
Etymology
Borrowing from Latin occāsiōnem (accusative of occāsiō). Compare the inherited Old French ochoison, achaison (the latter being influenced by Latin accūsātiō).
Pronunciation
Noun
occasion f (plural occasions)
- occasion, opportunity
- cause
- bargain, good deal
- secondhand or used item
Derived terms
Terms derived from occasion
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