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Synonyms

preoccupation

American  
[pree-ok-yuh-pey-shuhn, pree-ok-] / priˌɒk yəˈpeɪ ʃən, ˌpri ɒk- /

noun

  1. the state of being preoccupied. preoccupy.

  2. an act of preoccupying.

preoccupation British  
/ priːˌɒkjʊˈpeɪʃən, priːˈɒkjʊpənsɪ /

noun

  1. the state of being preoccupied, esp mentally

  2. something that holds the attention or preoccupies the mind

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • overpreoccupation noun
  • self-preoccupation noun

Etymology

Origin of preoccupation

1530–40; < Latin praeoccupātiōn- (stem of praeoccupātiō ) a taking possession beforehand. See pre-, occupation

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.

“His name is Maverick. Remember him? I’m pretty sure it was you that had a hand in creating the preoccupation you claim I’m stuck in.”

From Literature

The preoccupations of a regional power are different to the much broader global challenges faced by the US.

From BBC

Horror has long been a preoccupation for Boston.

From Los Angeles Times

Tante Jans’s preoccupation with death might have been funny, but it wasn’t.

From Literature

Regan asked, pulling me from my dazed preoccupation with the beauty of the place I’d called home for most of my life.

From Literature

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.