occasional examination

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "occasional examination" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to infrequent or periodic assessments or evaluations of something. Example: "The school conducts an occasional examination to gauge the students' understanding of the material throughout the year."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Before his book Pettyfoggers and Vipers of the Commonwealth (1986), the discipline had focused on the big picture of the constitution and the disputes of wealthy men, with the occasional examination of the lot of the poor.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

When I was first diagnosed, I was angry with myself for being too lazy and stupid to bother with anything but the occasional quick examination.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The data in the letter was based on NIOSH's Coal Workers Health Surveillance Programm, which administers occasional chest examinations of working miners.

Huffington Post

A relative lack of neoangiogenesis also explains the occasional false negative examination with mucinous and lobular carcinomas.

Cancer Imaging

Then, using data collected at both baseline and the two follow-up examinations, exposure to inappropriate medication was categorized as: never user of any inappropriate medication (reference group), user of inappropriate medication (any or individual item) at one examination (occasional user) and user at two or three examinations (regular user).

BMC Geriatrics

The Fed, he said, has created training programs for its examiners and conducts occasional reviews of their examinations.

The New York Times

Fundus examination showed occasional vitreous cells and bilateral, multifocal serous retinal detachments (Fig. 1a, b).

Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection

Assessment exposure based on both baseline and follow-up data showed that 53.7% of participants did not report any inappropriate medication use at any of the three examinations, 17.1% reported inappropriate medication at one examination only (occasional users) and 29.2% at two or three examinations (regular users).

BMC Geriatrics

Instead, they remained silent throughout most of the day Tuesday save for the occasional objection or cross-examination, at one point suggesting Peters should have been missing more than one acrylic nail if she struggled with an attacker.

Vice

Instead, they remained silent throughout most of the day Tuesday, save for the occasional objection or cross-examination, at one point suggesting Peters should have been missing more than one acrylic nail if she struggled with an attacker.

Vice

The Ministry of Health funded the eye examinations with occasional funding received from the patient and their insurers.

British Journal of Ophthalmology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "occasional examination", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being examined and the reason for its infrequency. For instance, specify whether it's a medical check-up, a financial audit, or a performance review.

Common error

Avoid using "occasional examination" when the assessment is actually regular or predictable. This diminishes the impact and accuracy of your statement. Use "regular examination" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "occasional examination" functions as a noun phrase, where "occasional" modifies the noun "examination". It describes the frequency of the examination, indicating that it is not a regular or routine event. Ludwig AI supports this analysis.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "occasional examination" is a noun phrase used to describe assessments or inspections that occur infrequently. Ludwig indicates that this phrase is correct and usable in written English. It is commonly found in scientific and news media contexts. When using this phrase, ensure clarity regarding the subject and reasons for the irregular nature of the examination. Related phrases include "periodic inspection" and "sporadic review". Avoid using it if the examination is actually regular, as this diminishes accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

periodic inspection

Emphasizes the recurring but not constant nature of the examination.

periodic check

A more succinct way to describe a check performed at intervals.

sporadic review

Highlights the irregularity and infrequency of the review process.

intermittent assessment

Focuses on the stop-and-start nature of the assessment.

infrequent check-up

Suggests a health-related or maintenance-related context that is not regularly scheduled.

irregular audit

Implies a formal review or inspection that does not follow a set schedule.

episodic assessment

Highlights the occasional and non-continuous nature of the assessment.

on-and-off evaluation

Stresses the inconsistent and alternating nature of the evaluation process.

chance inspection

Suggests the inspection happens unexpectedly and infrequently.

yearly review

Specifies the assessment occurring once per year, less frequent than monthly or quarterly.

FAQs

How can I use "occasional examination" in a sentence?

You might say, "The doctor recommended an "occasional examination" to monitor the patient's condition" or "The company conducts an "occasional examination" of its financial records".

What is a good alternative to "occasional examination"?

Depending on the context, you could use "periodic inspection", "sporadic review", or "intermittent assessment".

Is "occasional examination" formal or informal?

"Occasional examination" is appropriate for both formal and informal contexts. The key is to ensure the meaning of infrequent assessment is clear and suitable for your audience.

What does "occasional examination" imply about the frequency of the examination?

It implies that the examination is not regular or routine but happens at irregular intervals. The term suggests it is less frequent than a regular or scheduled examination.