Occur Meaning and Definition

Pronunciation

/əˈkyʊər/

Part of Speech

Verb

Definition

To happen, exist, or be present at a particular time or place; to be a feature of a particular situation or thing.

Examples

The sunset occurred at exactly 6 pm.
The festival occurs every summer.
The snowstorm occurred in April, which is unusual.
It’s likely to occur again if we don’t take action.
He didn’t attend the meeting, which occurred at 10 am.
The new policy will occur in January.

Synonyms

Happen
Take place
Exist

Antonyms

Non-occur
Dissolve
Disintegrate

Etymology

The word “occur” comes from the Latin “occurrere,” which means “to run into” or “to happen.”

Usage Notes

“Occur” can be used in both transitive and intransitive constructions. For example, “The storm occurred at dawn” is an intransitive sentence, while “The storm occurred on the map” is a transitive sentence.

Cultural References

In the movie “The Matrix” (1999), the character Morpheus says, “You have the ability to know what occurs in their reality.”

Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases

Makes little sense and will not occur in real life
It is more likely to occur

Related Words or Phrases

Event
Occurrence
Happening

Collocations

to occur frequently
to occur regularly
to occur suddenly

Frequency of Use

“Occur” is a common verb in everyday language, often used to describe events, situations, and facts that happen in the present or future.

Common Misspellings

Common misspellings include “occur” instead of “occured” and “occuring” instead of “occurring” or “occur.”