verb
Common
occurred
uh-KURD
Occurred (verb) means past tense and past participle of occur: happened or took place, usually without being planned. Example: “The fault occurred twice during the same shift.”
verb
1
Past tense and past participle of occur: happened or took place, usually without being planned.
"The fault occurred twice during the same shift."
"No further outbreaks have occurred since the vaccine was introduced."
"The accident occurred at a busy junction just after the school bus passed."
2
Of an idea: came into someone's mind, in the pattern it occurred to me.
"It occurred to her only later that the door had been unlocked."
"It never occurred to me that the shop might be closed on Sundays."
"Has it occurred to you that he might simply be shy?"
3
technical Was found or existed in a particular place, especially in scientific description.
"The species occurred at only two of the surveyed lakes."
"This type of beetle occurred mainly in the damp woodland near the river."
"Fossils of the plant occurred in several layers of the cliff."
How to use occurred
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHappened, especially by chance rather than by plan.
When to use it
Formal to neutral; standard in reports, science and journalism.
Memory tip
Occur has no passive: write 'the accident occurred', never 'the accident was occurred'.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
occured
happened
transpired
recurred
Common pairings
an error occurred
it occurred to me
occurred naturally
incidents occurred
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The fault _____ twice during the same shift.
Etymology
From Latin occurrere, 'to run towards, present itself', from ob-, 'towards', and currere, 'to run'.
Synonyms
View more →
happened
took place
arose
came about
Related words
Rhymes for occurred
See all rhymes for occurred →Frequently asked questions
Is it occurred or occured?
Occurred, with a double 'r'. Because occur is stressed on the final syllable, the 'r' doubles before -ed and -ing: occurred, occurring. Occured is a spelling mistake.
What is the difference between occurred and happened?
They mean the same, but occurred is more formal and more common in writing about events, faults and data. Happened is the everyday spoken choice.
Can occur be used with a person as the subject?
Not in the sense of doing something. Events occur; people do not occur. The only common pattern involving a person is 'it occurred to me', where the idea, not the person, is the subject.
What is the meaning of occurred?
"occurred" (verb) means past tense and past participle of occur: happened or took place, usually without being planned.
