Hypertext Webster Gateway: "occasional"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

Occasional \Oc*ca"sion*al\, a. [Cf.F. occasionnel.]
1. Of or pertaining to an occasion or to occasions; occuring
at times, but not constant, regular, or systematic; made
or happening as opportunity requires or admits; casual;
incidental; as, occasional remarks, or efforts.

The . . . occasional writing of the present times.
--Bagehot.

2. Produced by accident; as, the occasional origin of a
thing. [Obs.] --Sir T. Browne.

{Occasional cause} (Metaph.), some circumstance preceding an
effect which, without being the real cause, becomes the
occasion of the action of the efficient cause; thus, the
act of touching gunpowder with fire is the occasional, but
not the efficient, cause of an explosion.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

occasional
adj 1: occurring from time to time; "took an occasional glass of
wine" [syn: {occasional(a)}]
2: occurring or appearing at usually irregular intervals;
"episodic in his affections"; "occasional headaches" [syn:
{episodic}]
3: employed in a specified capacity from time to time; "casual
employment"; "a casual correspondence with a former
teacher"; "an occasional worker" [syn: {casual}]


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