occupy
Americanverb (used with object)
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occupies,
present (3rd person singular)
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occupied,
past participle, past
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occupying
present participle
-
to take or fill up (space, time, etc.).
I occupied my evenings reading novels.
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to engage or employ the mind, energy, or attention of.
Occupy the children with a game while I prepare dinner.
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to be a resident or tenant of; dwell in.
We occupied the same house for 20 years.
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to hold (a position, office, etc.).
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to take possession and control of (a place), as by military invasion.
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Usually Occupy to participate in a protest about (a social or political issue), as by taking possession or control of buildings or public places that are symbolic of the issue.
Let’s Occupy our voting rights!
The Occupy Wall Street movement of late 2011 was a protest against economic inequality.
verb (used without object)
-
occupies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
occupied,
past participle, past
-
occupying
present participle
-
to take or hold possession.
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Usually Occupy to participate in a protest about a social or political issue.
adjective
verb
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to live or be established in (a house, flat, office, etc)
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(often passive) to keep (a person) busy or engrossed; engage the attention of
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(often passive) to take up (a certain amount of time or space)
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to take and hold possession of, esp as a demonstration
students occupied the college buildings
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to fill or hold (a position or rank)
Synonym Usage
See have.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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occupysimple
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occupiessimple
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have occupiedperfect
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has occupiedperfect
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am occupyingprogressive
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are occupyingprogressive
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is occupyingprogressive
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have been occupyingperfect progressive
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has been occupyingperfect progressive
Past
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occupiedsimple
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had occupiedperfect
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was occupyingprogressive
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were occupyingprogressive
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had been occupyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of occupy
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English occupien, from Middle French occuper, from Latin occupāre “to seize, take hold, take up, make one's own,” equivalent to oc- oc- + -cup-, combining form of capere “to take, seize” + -āre infinitive suffix
Explanation
When you spend a lot of your free time reading tea leaves, you occupy yourself with that pastime, meaning it takes up your time and keeps you busy. An army can invade another country and occupy its territory, and this use of the word reflects its original Latin meaning, which was "to seize." There are also less aggressive forms of occupation, as with the family of chipmunks who occupy your garden. If you are the mayor of your town, you occupy an important office. And if you're a fan of Andy Warhol, a series of Campbell's soup can paintings may occupy a prominent place on your walls.
Vocabulary lists containing occupy
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Amid the many animal metaphors that invariably occupy reactions to my predictions, a dominant theme are dogs and crows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Three central defenders, one holding midfielder, three attacking midfielders, two wide wingers and a centre forward occupy those zones strictly.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Today, they account for 20% of all mammal species, occupy habitats on every continent except Antarctica, and have adapted to a wide range of ecological niches.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
At the same time, those films occupy a precious place in the memories of at least two generations of viewers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
In June 1940, France, having suffered devastating losses in battle, signed an armistice that allowed the German army to occupy much of Northern and Western France.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
She bought her first fridge with her earnings, as well as a karaoke machine, complete with flashing lights and two microphones, that occupies pride of place in her living room.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Oracle occupies a unique position, according to D.A.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Homo erectus, or H.erectus, occupies an important place in human evolutionary history because it was the first species in the genus Homo known to have migrated out of Africa.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
The Southern Utes’ reservation occupies about 1,100 square miles in the San Juan Basin, atop one of the most productive coal-bed methane fields in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Her Royal Highness occupies a suite at the very front of the palace with excellent views over London. I can promise you quarters within her very walls. And naturally a full staff.”
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
In the occupied West Bank's arid region of Masafer Yatta, Emar made a smooth concrete floor on two caves' rough limestone ground before applying a white limewash on the brittle stone walls.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
At one point, Irwin notes, Mangiare was occupied by Antipasti.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
The BBC's Middle East correspondent Lucy Williamson reports from Ma'ale Adumim - an existing Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, overlooking Israel's proposed E1 site.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Volunteer Mitchel Reising cleans a pen occupied by elephant seals 3.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The demands of the job, at least, kept his mind occupied.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
However, if your twin brother is already occupying one of the properties, he should be liable for routine costs like utilities, repairs and upkeep.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
The tracks, preserved near an ancient lakeshore, appear to record eight Paranthropus boisei individuals occupying the same place at roughly the same time.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026
The commander of Ukraine’s drone forces, Robert Brovdi, described them as a part of the larger strategy to make the Russian-occupied peninsula uninhabitable for the occupying forces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Most of that growth was attributed to 614 more people occupying shelter beds than the year before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
After we had finished eating, my uncle showed me his carpentry tools and his worktable, which was outside, occupying most of the little yard.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
