Incur vs. Occur — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 25, 2023
"Incur" means to become subject to (something unwelcome or unpleasant) as a result of one's own behavior or actions; "Occur" means to happen or take place.
Difference Between Incur and Occur
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Key Differences
"Incur" and "Occur," while seemingly similar in pronunciation, denote significantly different concepts. "Incur" is a verb that implies becoming subjected to something unwelcome or unpleasant due to one’s actions or behavior. It typically refers to encountering negative consequences, such as debts or penalties, often resulting from one's decisions or actions. This term is often used in legal and financial contexts, depicting the acquisition of liabilities or the reception of undesirable outcomes due to specific acts or omissions.
On the other hand, "Occur" is a neutral term implying the happening or coming into existence of an event or a condition. It doesn’t inherently possess a negative connotation and is simply used to represent the manifestation or occurrence of events or states, whether they be positive, negative, or neutral. It is a more general term compared to "incur," and it is widely utilized to denote the existence or happening of various phenomena, situations, or conditions.
"Incur" specifically signifies the acquisition of something undesirable or unwelcome, often as a consequence of one’s deeds. It entails a degree of responsibility or accountability on the part of the subject, emphasizing the connection between one's actions and the subsequent negative outcomes. For instance, violating a law would incur penalties, reflecting the causal relationship between the deed and the result.
Contrastingly, "Occur" does not imply accountability or the acquisition of something. It merely depicts the happening of an event or the existence of a state without attributing it to specific actions or decisions. It is versatile in its application, allowing for the description of a vast range of phenomena and situations without implying causation or acquisition, thus serving as a foundational term in various discourses and narratives.
In summary, "incur" implies acquiring or becoming subjected to something undesirable due to one’s actions, emphasizing accountability and consequences. "Occur," however, represents the neutral happening or existence of events or states, providing a broad and unattributed depiction of phenomena.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
To become subject to (usually unwelcome or unpleasant)
To happen or take place
Connotation
Generally negative, implies acquisition of something undesirable
Neutral, represents the happening of events
Implication
Implies responsibility and consequence of one’s actions
Does not imply acquisition or responsibility
Usage
Often used in legal and financial contexts
Used widely in various contexts to denote existence or happening
Application
Specific, relates to acquiring liabilities or negative outcomes
General, describes a range of phenomena and situations
Compare with Definitions
Incur
To become liable or subject to due to one's own actions.
Companies may incur substantial fines for non-compliance with regulations.
Occur
To exist or be known in a particular area or domain.
A similar incident occurred in a neighboring town.
Incur
To bring upon oneself, especially something undesirable.
Risky investments can incur significant financial losses.
Occur
To come into existence or appear.
A problem occurred during the system update.
Incur
To experience the acquisition of (usually liabilities or disadvantages).
The firm incurred considerable debts during the expansion phase.
Occur
To be found or present.
This species of birds occurs only in this region.
Incur
To become subjected to, usually as a result of one’s behavior or actions.
Careless drivers incur higher insurance premiums.
Occur
To take place; come about.
Incur
To acquire or come into (something usually undesirable); sustain
Incurred substantial losses during the stock market crash.
Occur
To be found to exist or appear
Copper deposits occur in the region.
Incur
To become liable or subject to as a result of one's actions; bring upon oneself
Incur the anger of a friend.
Occur
To come to mind
The idea never occurred to me.
Incur
(transitive) to bring upon oneself or expose oneself to, especially something inconvenient, harmful, or onerous; to become liable or subject to
Cruelty incurs calamity.
Occur
(intransitive) To happen or take place.
The liftoff will occur in exactly twelve seconds.
Incur
To render somebody liable or subject to
Occur
(intransitive) To present or offer itself.
I will write if the opportunity occurs.
Incur
To enter or pass into
Occur
(impersonal) To come or be presented to the mind; to suggest itself.
Incur
To fall within a period or scope; to occur; to run into danger
Occur
To be present or found.
The chemical monofluoroacetate occurs in all parts of Dichapetalum cymosum, and is responsible for its toxic effects.
Incur
To meet or fall in with, as something inconvenient, harmful, or onerous; to put one's self in the way of; to expose one's self to; to become liable or subject to; to bring down upon one's self; to encounter; to contract; as, to incur debt, danger, displeasure, penalty, responsibility, etc.
I know not what I shall incur to pass it,Having no warrant.
Occur
To meet; to clash.
The resistance of the bodies they occur with.
Incur
To render liable or subject to; to occasion.
Lest you incur me much more damage in my fame than you have done me pleasure in preserving my life.
Occur
To go in order to meet; to make reply.
I must occur to one specious objection.
Incur
To pass; to enter.
Light is discerned by itself because by itself it incurs into the eye.
Occur
To meet one's eye; to be found or met with; to present itself; to appear.
In Scripture, though the word heir occur, yet there is no such thing as "heir" in our author's sense.
Incur
Make oneself subject to; bring upon oneself; become liable to;
People who smoke incur a great danger to their health
Occur
To happen; to take place; as, I will write if opportunity occurs.
Incur
Receive a specified treatment (abstract);
These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation
His movie received a good review
I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions
Occur
To come to the mind; to arise in the mind; to suggest itself; to be presented to the imagination or memory; - of an idea or thought; as, it never occurred to me to call John to ask.
There doth not occur to me any use of this experiment for profit.
Incur
To acquire or come into (usually something negative).
He managed to incur the wrath of his supervisor with his tardiness.
Occur
Come to pass;
What is happening?
The meeting took place off without an incidence
Nothing occurred that seemed important
Occur
Come to one's mind; suggest itself;
It occurred to me that we should hire another secretary
A great idea then came to her
Occur
To be found to exist;
Sexism occurs in many workplaces
Precious stones occur in a large area in Brazil
Occur
To happen; to take place or come about.
An idea occurred to me while I was showering.
Occur
To come to mind, usually unexpectedly.
It never occurred to me to ask for help.
Common Curiosities
Is to incur always about receiving something negative?
Typically, yes, "incur" usually implies becoming subject to something unwelcome or unpleasant due to one’s actions.
Can occur be used to denote future events?
Yes, "occur" can be used to describe events that will happen in the future, e.g., "The meeting will occur tomorrow."
Does occur imply causation?
No, "occur" simply denotes the happening of an event and does not inherently imply causation or reason behind the event.
Does to incur imply responsibility?
Yes, "incur" often implies that one is subject to something, usually negative, due to one’s own actions or decisions, implying responsibility.
Can one incur positive outcomes?
While uncommon, "incur" can theoretically be used to denote acquiring anything, positive or negative, but it typically denotes negative outcomes.
Can occur be used in a scientific context?
Yes, "occur" is often used in scientific contexts to describe the presence or happening of phenomena, conditions, or events.
Can a company incur debts?
Yes, a company can incur debts, typically meaning it has become subject to debts due to its actions or decisions.
Can occur describe natural phenomena?
Absolutely, "occur" can describe the happening of any event or phenomena, including natural ones like earthquakes or rainfalls.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
