occasion
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /əˈkeɪʒən/
rhymes: -eɪʒən
Forms: form: occasions
Etymology: From Middle English occasioun, from Middle French occasion, from Old French occasiun, from Latin occāsiōnem, noun of action from perfect passive participle occāsus, from verb occidō, from prefix ob- (“down", "away”) + verb cadō (“fall”).
Senses: examples: text: At this point, she seized the occasion to make her own observation.
text: Foꝛ ſynne toke occaſiõ by the meanes of the cõmaundement and ſo diſceaved me / and by the ſilfe cõmaundemẽt ſlewe me.
ref: 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Romans vij:[11], folio ccvj, verso:
text: I'll take the occasion which he gives to bring / Him to his death.
ref: 1690, Edmund Waller, The Maids Tragedy Alter'd:
text: 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.
ref: 1749, Henry Fielding, “Containing five Pages of Paper”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book IV, pages 2–3:
glosses: A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance.
examples: text: On this occasion, I'm going to decline your offer, but next time I might agree.
text: And Vickers launched forth in a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with supreme 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.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 203:
glosses: The time when something happens.
examples: text: I had no occasion to feel offended, however.
glosses: An occurrence or state of affairs which causes some event or reaction; a motive or reason.
examples: text: [I]t were too vile to ſay, and ſcarce to be beleeued, what we endured: but the occaſion was our owne, for want of prouidence, induſtrie and gouernment, […]
ref: 1624, Iohn Smith, “What happened in the first gouernment after the alteration in the time of Captaine George Piercie their Gouernour”, in The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles: […], London: […] I[ohn] D[awson] and I[ohn] H[aviland] for Michael Sparkes, →OCLC, book 4; reprinted in The Generall Historie of Virginia, … (Bibliotheca Americana), Cleveland, Oh.: The World Publishing Company, 1966, →OCLC, page 106:
glosses: Something which causes something else; a cause.
synonyms: word: event
word: happening
word: affair
word: befalling
word: episode
word: event
word: goings-on
word: happening
word: hap
word: incident
word: occasion
word: occurrence
word: proceeding
glosses: An occurrence or incident.
examples: text: I could think of two separate occasions when she had deliberately lied to me.
text: a momentous occasion in the history of South Africa
text: I only think of you on two occasions / That's day and night / I'd go for broke if I could be with you / Only you can make it right
ref: 1987, The Deele, “Two Occasions”, in Eyes of a Stranger (album):
text: In the last two decades, North Korea has on various occasions conducted highly provocative missile and nuclear tests and promised to turn Seoul into a sea of fire.
ref: 2013 April 9, Andrei Lankov, “Stay Cool. Call North Korea’s Bluff.”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 13 Apr 2013:
synonyms: word: instant
word: point in time
word: instant
word: juncture
word: minute
word: moment
word: occasion
word: point in time
word: sith
word: time
glosses: A particular happening; an instance or time when something occurred.
examples: text: I have no occasion for firearms.
text: […] after we have ſerved our ſelves, and our own occaſions.
ref: 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, “Consideration of the general instruments and means serving to a holy Life: by way of Introduction”, in The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC, page 2:
text: When my occaſions took me into France, […]
ref: 1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC, page 214:
text: 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.
ref: 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, pages 12–13:
glosses: A need; requirement, necessity.
examples: text: Having people round for dinner was always quite an occasion at our house.
glosses: A special event or function.
examples: text: VVhoſe manner was all paſſengers to ſtay, / And entertaine with her occaſions ſly, […]
ref: 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 13, page 142:
glosses: A reason or excuse; a motive; a persuasion.
Derived terms: improve the occasion
interoccasion
occasional
occasionless
occasionwear
on occasion
rise to the occasion
social occasion
take occasion
unoccasioned