occur

[ uh-kur ]

verb (used without object)

, oc·curred, oc·cur·ring.

1. to happen; take place; come to pass:

   When did the accident occur?

   Synonyms: befall

2. to be met with or found; present itself; appear:

   Modest amounts of fructose occur naturally in fruits and vegetables.

   Synonyms: offer, exist, arise

3. to suggest itself in thought; come to mind (usually followed by to ):

   An idea occurred to me.

occur

/ əˈkɜː /

verb

1. to happen; take place; come about
2. to be found or be present; exist
3. foll by to to be realized or thought of (by); suggest itself (to)

Usage

It is usually regarded as incorrect to talk of pre-arranged events occurring or happening : the wedding took place (not occurred or happened ) in the afternoon

Other Words From

• pre·oc·cur verb (used without object) preoccurred preoccurring
• re·oc·cur verb (used without object) reoccurred reoccurring
• un·oc·cur·ring adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of occur¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin occurrere “to run to meet, arrive, meet,” equivalent to oc- oc- + currere “to run”

Word History and Origins

Origin of occur¹

C16: from Latin occurrere to run up to, from ob- to + currere to run

Synonym Study

See happen.

Example Sentences

Some newly identified sites actually occur in the coding sequence of the gene that becomes an mRNA.

From Science Daily

Atmospheric rivers are also more likely to occur because of climate change.

From Salon

Using algorithms for spatial clustering, they identified locations where certain behaviours occurred more frequently.

From Science Daily

This means that cell density is a broadly applicable tool for guiding both engineered and naturally occurring cells to build a vast array of structures, tissues, and organs.

From Science Daily

AEP or "Annual Exceedance Probability" is used to express the likelihood of a flood occurring in a given area each year.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• appear
• arise
• crop up
• develop
• ensue
• exist
• follow
• go
• materialize
• result
• show
• take place
• transpire