Occur

/əˈkɜːr/

Meaning & Definition

verb
to happen or take place.
The meeting will occur at 3 PM tomorrow.
to come into being; to exist.
Natural disasters can occur unexpectedly.
to be found or present.
Rare species of birds occur in this remote area.
to happen to someone or something (usually followed by an indirect object).
It never occurred to me that he would be late.
to take place in some location or to be found in a particular context.
The events of the festival occur over three days.

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin 'occurrere' meaning 'to run to meet'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

occur to someone
to come into someone's mind
occur in nature
to be present or found in the natural world
occur regularly
to happen at consistent intervals

Related Words

happen
to take place, especially by chance
arise
to emerge or become apparent
transpire
to take place, especially the unfolding of events

Slang Meanings

to go down
When the party started, things really occurred.
to take place in a casual manner
Let's see how it occurs later.