occasionally
adv/əˈkeɪʒənəli/ · /əˈkeɪʒnəli/
Etymology From Middle English occasionally, occasionaly, occasyoneely, occasyonly, equivalent to occasional + -ly.
1
On occasion: at relatively infrequent intervals, from time to time, sometimes.
- God ſetteth no houres for the morning or evening ſacrifice because they may occaſionally be changed.1639, Henry Ainsworth, Annotations Upon the Five Books of Moses, the Book of the Psalmes and the Song of Songs, page 177:
- Some perhaps worship only on alternate Sundays; others still more occasionally.1855, Horace Mann, “On the Statistical Position of Religious Bodies in England and Wales”, in Journal of the Statistical Society of London, volume 18, number 2, page 152:
2 more examples
- The journal, more occasionally, has turned to what might be called "fashionable" themes.1978, Stephen R. Graubard, “Twenty Years of 'Daedalus'”, in Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, volume 32, number 3, page 18:
- Flames could still be seen from town flaring up occasionally on a hill dotted with emergency vehicles.2007 August 17, Matt Gouras/AP, “Wildfires Rage in Montana”, in Time:
2
Obsolete On an occasion, accidentally, by chance.
- Mr Tourville occasionally told his age; just turned of thirty-one.1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter CLXI”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC:
- [N]othing gave him so much joy in conversation, as an opportunity of giving the company to understand, how well he was with persons of distinguished rank and character: he would often (for example) observe, as it were occasionally, that the duke of G— was one of the best natured men in the world […].1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:
1 more example
- I had met Lord Ossory in the forenoon, who had come to town occasionally.1790, James Boswell, in Danziger & Brady (eds.), Boswell: The Great Biographer (Journals 1789–1795), Yale 1989, p. 103
3
Obsolete On the occasion of something else happening; incidentally, by the way.
- Were nothing els diſcourſively inſerted (as ſome little elſe occaſionally preſented it ſelfe), what paper more currently fit for the bareſt mechanicall uſes, [...]1588, G[abriel] H[arvey], “The Fourth Letter. To the Same Favourable or Indifferent Reader.”, in J[ohn] P[ayne] C[ollier], editor, Fovre Letters, and Certaine Sonnets, […] (Miscellaneous Tracts Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I), [London]: [s.n.], published [1870], →OCLC, page 56:
- I think it is plain, that Origen, whatever Character he may have occaſionally given of this Book, did not judge it any part of the Canon...1619, John Richardson, John Toland, The Canon of the New Testament Vindicated, page 30:
- Synonyms
- at times, ever and anon, every once in a while, every now and then, every so often, from time to time, intermittently, irregularly, now and again, now and then, occasionally, on occasion, once in a while, sometimes, sporadically, uncommonly, while, whilom
- Related terms
- flakily, unreliably, frequency, unusually
- Hypernyms
- specifically