occasionnoun/əˈkeɪ̯ʒən/

• 1

  A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance.

  • At this point, she seized the occasion to make her own observation.
  • Foꝛ ſynne toke occaſiõ by the meanes of the cõmaundement and ſo diſceaved me / and by the ſilfe cõmaundemẽt ſlewe me.
• 2

  The time when something happens.

  • On this occasion, I'm going to decline your offer, but next time I might agree.
  • And Vickers launched forth in a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with supreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted to do anything for them, you must rule them, not pamper them.
• 3

  An occurrence or state of affairs which causes some event or reaction; a motive or reason.

  • I had no occasion to feel offended, however.
• 4

  Something which causes something else; a cause.

  • [I]t were too vile to ſay, and ſcarce to be beleeued, what we endured: but the occaſion was our owne, for want of prouidence, induſtrie and gouernment, […]
• 5

  obsoleteAn occurrence or incident.

• 6

  A particular happening; an instance or time when something occurred.

  • I could think of two separate occasions when she had deliberately lied to me.
  • a momentous occasion in the history of South Africa
• 7

  A need; requirement, necessity.

  • I have no occasion for firearms.
  • […] after we have ſerved our ſelves, and our own occaſions.
• 8

  A special event or function.

  • Having people round for dinner was always quite an occasion at our house.

occasionverb/əˈkeɪ̯ʒən/

• 1

  To cause; to produce; to induce

  • It is seen that the mental changes are occasioned by a change of polarity.
  • To the Author's private circle the appearance of this singular Work on Clothes must have occasioned little less surprise than it has to the rest of the world.