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Synonyms

occurrence

American  
[uh-kur-uhns, uh-kuhr-] / əˈkɜr əns, əˈkʌr- /

noun

  1. the action, fact, or instance of occurring.

  2. something that happens; event; incident.

    We were delayed by several unexpected occurrences.
    Synonyms:
    circumstance
occurrence British  
/ əˈkʌrəns /

noun

  1. something that occurs; a happening; event

  2. the act or an instance of occurring

    a crime of frequent occurrence
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See event.

Other Word Forms

  • occurrent adjective
  • preoccurrence noun
  • reoccurrence noun

Etymology

Origin of occurrence

1530–40; < Latin occurrent-, stem of occurrēns (present participle of occurrere “to run up to, run to meet”), from oc- (variant of ob- ; ob- ( def. ) ) + currere “to run” + -ence; compare Medieval Latin occurrentia

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.