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Definition of occur verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

occur

verb
 
/əˈkɜː(r)/
 
/əˈkɜːr/
(formal)
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they occur
 
/əˈkɜː(r)/
 
/əˈkɜːr/
he / she / it occurs
 
/əˈkɜːz/
 
/əˈkɜːrz/
past simple occurred
 
/əˈkɜːd/
 
/əˈkɜːrd/
past participle occurred
 
/əˈkɜːd/
 
/əˈkɜːrd/
-ing form occurring
 
/əˈkɜːrɪŋ/
 
/əˈkɜːrɪŋ/
Phrasal Verbs
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  1. [intransitive] to happen
    • When exactly did the incident occur?
    • Something unexpected occurred.
    • Three major events occurred in my life that year.
    • These chemical changes occur naturally.
    • In most years more deaths occur in winter.
    Extra Examples
    • Opportunities for learning occur spontaneously every day.
    • A new outbreak of smallpox occurred in 1928.
    • Impact occurred seconds after the pilot signalled for help.
    • Major economic changes have occurred recently.
    • Peasant rebellions occurred throughout the 16th century.
    • The collision occurred near the hospital.
    • The explosion occurred just after midday.
    • The fits usually occur at night.
    • These climate shifts occurred over less than a decade.
    • Travellers complained about lack of information when travel delays occurred.
    • Such storms are likely to occur for the next six to ten weeks.
    • The disease can occur at any time of the year.
    • These symptoms occur in some patients but not in others.
    • This rally usually occurs between Christmas and New Year's day.
    • Five attacks occurred in a 12-day period.
    • Several conversations occurred simultaneously.
    • The fractures occurred as a direct result of osteoporosis.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • commonly
    • frequently
    • often
    verb + occur
    • be likely to
    • tend to
    • be unlikely to
    preposition
    • among
    • in
    See full entry
  2. [intransitive] + adv./prep. to exist or be found somewhere
    • Sugar occurs naturally in fruit.
    • naturally occurring chemicals in the brain
    • Lemurs occur in the wild only in Madagascar.
    • Infected plants frequently occur in patches.
    • Calluses typically occur on the bottom of the feet and heel.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • commonly
    • frequently
    • often
    verb + occur
    • be likely to
    • tend to
    • be unlikely to
    preposition
    • among
    • in
    See full entry
  3. Word Originlate 15th cent.: from Latin occurrere ‘go to meet, present itself’, from ob- ‘against’ + currere ‘to run’.
See occur in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee occur in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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