preoccupation
Americannoun
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the state of being preoccupied, esp mentally
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something that holds the attention or preoccupies the mind
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preoccupation
1530–40; < Latin praeoccupātiōn- (stem of praeoccupātiō ) a taking possession beforehand. See pre-, occupation
Explanation
Preoccupation is a state where you're absorbed in something. You may have a preoccupation with video games or Hello Kitty, for example, if you can't keep your mind off those things. We all have our preoccupations: ideas and things that we just can't stop thinking about. Just as an occupation means someone is living somewhere, a preoccupation is an idea that's moved in to our minds. One person's preoccupation might be making more money, while another person's preoccupation could be learning to ride a motorcycle. We can also say that someone who is engrossed or absorbed in something is in a state of preoccupation; they're preoccupied.
Vocabulary lists containing preoccupation
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury
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Tuesdays with Morrie
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And Then There Were None
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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.
Preoccupation with the virus as an invisible enemy shifts focus away from the personhood of the patient who is afflicted.
From Slate • Jun. 1, 2020
Preoccupation with getting their own financial houses in order has limited the role that either group has been able to play in further industry consolidation.
From New York Times • Jan. 27, 2015
Preoccupation with the captaincy may reduce his Twitter output.
From The Guardian • Aug. 27, 2011
Preoccupation with effect is preoccupation with the self," Mamet writes, "and it is not only joyless, it is a waste of time ...
From Salon • Sep. 20, 2010
Preoccupation, the whirl of my own temperate thoughts, scared silence, while as soon as the mental machine was stilled, the very trees became vocal.
From My Tropic Isle by Banfield, E. J. (Edmund James)
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.
