Occurs

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈkɝz/

Definitions

1. To take place or come about at a certain time or in a certain context ; to be present or found in a particular place or situation
2. To transpire or come into existence in a specific moment or condition ; to be observed or exist within a given location or circumstance
3. To come to pass or be realized under defined conditions ; to be noticed or located as part of a setting or event

Etymology: "Occurs" is the third-person singular form of "occur," so its story is really the story of the verb. The verb began in Latin as "occurrere," built from "ob-," meaning "against," and "currere," meaning "to run." Its original sense was literally to run toward something, to meet it head-on. English borrowed the word through Middle French "occurrer," and for a time it kept that sense of a meeting, especially a meeting in argument: two opposing points would run into one another. From there the meaning drifted from the collision to the encounter itself. Something that "runs against" you is something that happens to you, and that is how the verb came to mean something coming to pass or presenting itself. The idea of an event turning up in the course of things, rather than a person physically encountering another, is a step removed from the original running.

Synonyms: happens, takes place, arises

Antonyms: ceases, stops