occupancy

American  

[ok-yuh-puhn-see] / ˈɒk yə pən si /

noun

plural

occupancies

1. the act, state, or condition of being or becoming a tenant or of living in or taking up quarters or space in or on something.

   Continued occupancy of the office depends on a rent reduction.

   Synonyms:

   possession, occupation, tenancy

2. the possession or tenancy of a property.

   You can have occupancy on June 1st.

3. the act of taking possession, as of a property.

4. the term during which one is an occupant.

5. the condition of being occupied.

   Occupancy of the auditorium is limited to 1200 people.

6. the use to which property is put.

7. exercise of dominion over property that has no owner so as to become the legal owner.

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occupancy British  

/ ˈɒkjʊpənsɪ /

noun

1. the act of occupying; possession of a property

2. law the possession and use of property by or without agreement and without any claim to ownership

3. law the act of taking possession of unowned property, esp land, with the intent of thus acquiring ownership

4. the condition or fact of being an occupant, esp a tenant

5. the period of time during which one is an occupant, esp of property

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Other Word Forms

• unoccupancy
  noun

Etymology

Origin of occupancy

First recorded in 1590–1600; occup(ant) + -ancy

Explanation

Occupancy is the act of owning, renting, or taking possession of a building. When you and your family move into a new house, you are taking occupancy of that home. You're probably most familiar with the word occupancy from signs in auditoriums and concert halls that state the room's "maximum occupancy." A maximum occupancy of 100 means only 100 people can safely fit inside that room at one time. A single-occupancy hotel room is meant for one person. The opposite of occupancy is vacancy––when no one is in possession. Hotels let you know when they have a vacancy by flashing a sign.

Example Sentences

Occupancy at area hotels was down 5.6% between November 2024 and November 2025, according to data company CoStar.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026

Occupancy for the quarter was 106.4%, which was above the company’s guidance of about 105.5%.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 4, 2025

Impressive numbers for a small organization, but only a partial solution considering the city shelter system’s “Dog Occupancy Meter” reported 1,541 dogs in early July — more than double the city’s capacity.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

Occupancy is based on a building’s capacity and the amount of use of its space.

From Washington Times • Dec. 6, 2023

Occupancy, however, gives a title for the time being; and individuals consider the land enclosed or improved by them as their own.

From Life of Schamyl And Narrative of the Circassian War of Independence Against Russia by Mackie, John Milton

Related Words

• ownership