occasionally

Etymology

From occasional + -ly.

adv

  1. From time to time; sometimes; at relatively infrequent intervals.
    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
    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. 17 Aug 2007, Matt Gouras/AP, “Wildfires Rage in Montana”, in Time
  2. (obsolete) By chance; accidentally.
    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.
    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

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