occupant
Americannoun
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a person, family, group, or organization that lives in, occupies, or has quarters or space in or on something.
the occupant of a taxicab; the occupants of the building.
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a tenant of a house, estate, office, etc.; resident.
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Law.
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an owner through occupancy.
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one who is in actual possession.
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noun
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a person, thing, etc, holding a position or place
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law a person who has possession of something, esp an estate, house, etc; tenant
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law a person who acquires by occupancy the title to something previously without an owner
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of occupant
1590–1600; < Middle French occupant, present participle of occuper. See occupy, -ant
Explanation
An occupant is someone who lives or stays at a place for awhile. A lot of your junk mail is addressed "To occupant" because the sender doesn't know who lives at your address. Being an occupant means you're occupying a place. This has nothing to do with owning a house or renting an apartment; if you live there, you're an occupant. There are other occupants too, as in politics. The President is often called "the current occupant of the White House," who replaced the former occupant. That kind of occupant has as much to do with politics as living space.
Vocabulary lists containing occupant
"Of Mice and Men"
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"Building Design and Construction Handbook," Vocabulary from Section 1
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"The Black Ferris" by Ray Bradbury
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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.
The aforementioned “wig room” has been outfitted with an enormous mirror and a built-in vanity perfect for trying on different styles—however a future occupant could easily use this space as a flex room or office.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026
All living US ex-presidents -- with the notable absence of current White House occupant Donald Trump -- joined a star-studded lineup Thursday for the opening of Barack Obama's presidential center in Chicago.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
During the next month, the nine-year-old venue will have just one occupant, the U.S. national soccer team, which has chosen the stadium as its main training base for the World Cup.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
John Nowell, who was part of a corporate group staying at the hotel, told the BBC that his key card allowed him into a room where the occupant was in the middle of a shower.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
One doesn’t any more feel for a hotel room than one expects a hotel room to feel for its occupant.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
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.
