n. 1
An occurrence or incident.
n. 2
A particular happening; an instance or time when something occurred.
a momentous occasion in the history of South Africa
n. 3
A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance.
At this point, she seized the occasion to make her own observation.
v. 1
To cause; to produce; to induce
It is seen that the mental changes are occasioned by a change of polarity.

Related words

Word family: occasional
Phrases: social occasion

Forms

Plural: occasions → times, junctures, moments, opportunities…
Past participle: occasioned
e.g. occasioned → caused, given, created, produced…

Choose the right word

or Occasion?

An occasion is that which falls in our way, or presents itself in the course of events; an opportunity is a convenience or fitness of time, place, etc., for the doing of a thing. The occasion of sickness may give opportunity for reflection.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Example sentences

opportunity You had better avail yourself of this opportunity.
instant She stirred the instant coffee and poured in milk.
juncture At this juncture, the teacher entered the classroom.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
occasion		falling
opportunity		steady
instant		steady
juncture		steady
conjuncture		rising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: use¹, hap¹
4 letters: time¹, make¹, need¹, give¹, room¹
5 letters: cause¹, event², scope¹, breed¹, incur²
6 letters: season², reason², moment², ground¹, create², affair², induce²
7 letters: episode³, opening³, produce², instant²
8 letters: function², instance², incident³, generate³, juncture², engender³
9 letters: happening³, necessity⁴, originate⁴
10 letters: occurrence³
11 letters: opportunity⁵, conjuncture

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (event² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: occasion
Italiano: occasione
Español: ocasión
Deutsch: Gelegenheit