occupational
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to an occupation, trade, or calling.
occupational guidance.
-
of or relating to occupation.
occupational troops.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of occupational
First recorded in 1840–50; occupation + -al 1
Explanation
If it has anything to do with your job, your work or your career, then you can describe it as occupational. Take the "al" off of occupational and you're left with occupation. So this adjective describes anything related to your occupation — you know, the professional work that keeps you occupied. You might hear people talk about "occupational hazards" — which can range from paper cuts to falling trees, depending on if you make a living filing or lumber-jacking.
Vocabulary lists containing occupational
Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 4
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"The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka
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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.
Even worse, that anxiety was associated with lower occupational prestige and ultimately lower income three years later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Jamil Mohammad, a 42-year-old occupational therapist, had his children Jad and Joury in tow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Federal Aviation Administration found that even relatively small leaks can release levels of neurotoxic chemicals that exceed U.S. occupational health exposure limits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Sophie Lainault, a 59 year-old former stewardess on Air France, sought to have her cancer recognised as an occupational disease, brought on by conditions at work.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
He sees a speech therapist three times a week and an occupational therapist two times a week.
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.