occupy
Americanverb (used with object)
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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)
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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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have occupiedperfect
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has occupiedperfect 3rd person singular
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am occupyingprogressive 1st person singular
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is occupyingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been occupyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been occupyingperfect progressive
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occupiessingular 3rd person
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are occupyingprogressive
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occupyingparticiple
Past
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had occupiedperfect
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were occupyingprogressive plural
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had been occupyingperfect progressive
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occupiedparticiple
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was occupyingprogressive singular
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occupiedsimple
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
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The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“The kind of war to which we were used, the kind of war that Russia had in mind in Ukraine—to invade and occupy a nation—is no longer conceivable,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
It will occupy an 89-acre site within the park - 0.31% of its total area, according to a KWS official quoted by the Star newspaper.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Despite their importance, these lasers have largely remained large, costly systems that occupy entire optical tables.
From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026
The land they occupy would be 18 times bigger than New York City.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Penelope decided to occupy herself by making lists of questions for her parents.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
