preoccupy
verb (used with object)
to absorb or engross to the exclusion of other things.
has preoccupied
-
present perfectof preoccupy (3rd person singular).present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
Lastly, Deutsche’s note addresses the issue that has preoccupied markets most of all in recent months: costs.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 3, 2025
Speculation about how the BLS would handle last month’s figures has preoccupied economists and policymakers in recent weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Two official investigations, begun in 1947 and 1963, failed to reveal the identity of the informant; the matter has preoccupied multiple biographers since.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2022
The question of who ultimately bears responsibility for the lives lost to the pandemic has preoccupied public opinion in Britain and other countries for months.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 12, 2021
One memory in particular has preoccupied me all morning - or rather, a fragment of a memory, a moment that has for some reason remained with me vividly through the years.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
