verb
occur
uh-KUR
verb
1
To happen or take place.
"The accident occurred just after midnight."
2
To come to mind suddenly.
"It occurred to her that she'd left the oven on."
3
To exist or be found somewhere.
"This mineral occurs naturally in volcanic rock."
How to Use Occur
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo happen, or to come to mind, or to exist somewhere.
Common mistake
Remember the double "r" and single "c" when adding endings: "occurred", "occurring", "occurrence".
Common pairings
it occurred to me
occur naturally
commonly occurs
Word Forms
occurred past tense, occurs singular
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This mineral _____ naturally in volcanic rock.
Etymology
From Latin occurrere, "to run to meet, present itself", from ob- ("against") plus currere ("to run").