English · Greetings & Phrases
once in a while
/wʌns ɪn ə waɪl/
[/wʌns ɪn ə waɪl/]
occasionally
Intermediatephrase
Definition
From time to time, but not often or regularly. It describes something that happens occasionally.
Example
We go to the cinema once in a while.
We go to the cinema once in a while.
Etymology
From 'once' plus 'in a while', where 'while' means a period of time.
How & Where It’s Used
Common in casual speech about frequency.