unoccupied
Americanadjective
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without occupants; empty; vacant.
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not held or controlled by invading forces.
unoccupied nations.
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not busy or active; idle; not gainfully employed.
an unoccupied person.
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without inhabitants; deserted.
adjective
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(of a building) without occupants
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unemployed or idle
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(of an area or country) not overrun by foreign troops
Etymology
Origin of unoccupied
1350–1400; Middle English; see un- 1, occupy ( def. ), -ed 2 ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing unoccupied
Novel Study: The Hobbit, Chapters 1–5
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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.
Then say “open space,” and they’d probably look around for that sweet piece of unoccupied curb right in front of Trader Joe’s.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
"We knew it was derelict, it would have been unoccupied for 14 years, but we jumped in the car and went to have a look at it, and that was that really."
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
Oakland was the first to implement one in 2019, when it began placing a $3,000 or $6,000 yearly tax on unoccupied residences as well as undeveloped lots.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
With every incoming missile, officials must decide whether to let it fall in unoccupied areas or shoot it down, and if so with what system.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026
It’s crowded, and I have to look brutish in order to keep the other chair at my table unoccupied.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
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.
