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occasion

Occasion means something special––that happens seldom or is notable when it does. On occasion, we sit down together as a family, but not every day, and never for dinner. When Great Aunt Mabel visits, however, we rise to the occasion and stage a large family meal.

Occasion can also mean a designated time or reason something happens, or it can be an event in itself. I'm giving you your grandmother's ring on the occasion of your graduation from high school. I haven't had occasion to look at it since she died. It's valuable, so only wear it on special occasions.

DEFINITIONS OF: occasion

n an event that occurs at a critical time

“it was needed only on special occasions”

Synonyms:: juncture

Types:: show 10 types...; hide 10 types...; climax, flood tide
the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding; conjuncture
a critical combination of events or circumstances; crisis
a crucial stage or turning point in the course of something; landmark, turning point, watershed
an event marking a unique or important historical change of course or one on which important developments depend; milestone
a significant event in your life (or in a project); head, pass, straits
a difficult juncture; reality check
an occasion on which one is reminded of the nature of things in the real world; emergency, exigency, pinch
a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action; Fall of Man
(Judeo-Christian mythology) when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, God punished them by driving them out of the Garden of Eden and into the world where they would be subject to sickness and pain and eventual death; road to Damascus
a sudden turning point in a person's life (similar to the sudden conversion of the Apostle Paul on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus of arrest Christians)

Type of:: happening, natural event, occurrence, occurrent
an event that happens

n a vaguely specified social event

“an occasion arranged to honor the president”

Synonyms:: affair, function, social function, social occasion

Types:: show 31 types...; hide 31 types...; party
an occasion on which people can assemble for social interaction and entertainment; celebration, jubilation
a joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event; ceremonial, ceremonial occasion, ceremony, observance
a formal event performed on a special occasion; fundraiser
a social function that is held for the purpose of raising money; photo op, photo opportunity
an occasion that lends itself to (or is deliberately arranged for) taking photographs that provide favorable publicity for those who are photographed; sleepover
an occasion of spending a night away from home or having a guest spend the night in your home (especially as a party for children); bash, brawl, do
an uproarious party; birthday party
a party held on the anniversary of someone's birth; bun-fight, bunfight
(Briticism) a grand formal party on an important occasion; ceilidh
an informal social gathering at which there is Scottish or Irish folk music and singing and folk dancing and story telling; cocktail party
an afternoon party at which cocktails are served; dance
a party for social dancing; feast, fete, fiesta
an elaborate party (often outdoors); house party
a party lasting over one or more nights at a large house; jolly
a happy party; tea party
a party at which tea is served; whist drive
a progressive whist party; circumstance
formal ceremony about important occasions; funeral
a ceremony at which a dead person is buried or cremated; hymeneals, nuptials, wedding, wedding ceremony
the social event at which the ceremony of marriage is performed; pageant, pageantry
a rich and spectacular ceremony; dedication
a ceremony in which something (as a building) is dedicated to some goal or purpose; opening
a ceremony accompanying the start of some enterprise; commemoration, memorialisation, memorialization
a ceremony to honor the memory of someone or something; military ceremony
a formal ceremony performed by military personnel; induction, initiation, installation
a formal entry into an organization or position or office; exercise
(usually plural) a ceremony that involves processions and speeches; fire walking
the ceremony of walking barefoot over hot stones or a bed of embers; formalities, formality
a requirement of etiquette or custom; Maundy
a public ceremony on Maundy Thursday when the monarch distributes Maundy money; potlatch
a ceremonial feast held by some Indians of the northwestern coast of North America (as in celebrating a marriage or a new accession) in which the host gives gifts to tribesmen and others to display his superior wealth (sometimes, formerly, to his own impoverishment)

Type of:: social event
an event characteristic of persons forming groups

n the time of a particular event

“on the occasion of his 60th birthday”

Types:: meal
any of the occasions for eating food that occur by custom or habit at more or less fixed times

Type of:: time
a suitable moment

n an opportunity to do something

“there was never an occasion for her to demonstrate her skill”

Types:: show 13 types...; hide 13 types...; cut-rate sale, sale, sales event
an occasion (usually brief) for buying at specially reduced prices; bazaar, fair
a sale of miscellany; often for charity; boot sale, car boot sale
an outdoor sale at which people sell things from the trunk of their car; clearance sale, inventory-clearance sale
a sale to reduce inventory; closeout
a sale intended to dispose of all remaining stock; fire sale
a sale of merchandise supposedly damaged by fire; fire sale
a sale of assets at very low prices typically when the seller faces bankruptcy; garage sale, yard sale
an outdoor sale of used personal or household items held on the seller's premises; going-out-of-business sale
a sale of all the tangible assets of a business that is about to close; realisation, realization
a sale in order to obtain money (as a sale of stock or a sale of the estate of a bankrupt person) or the money so obtained; jumble sale, rummage sale
a sale of donated articles; selloff
a sale of a relatively large number of assets (stocks or bonds or commodities) at a low price typically done to dispose of them rather than as normal trade; white sale
a sale of household linens

Type of:: chance, opportunity
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

n reason

“there was no occasion for complaint”

Type of:: ground, reason
a rational motive for a belief or action

v give occasion to

Types:: inspire
supply the inspiration for

Type of:: cause, do, make
give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally

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