occupational
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to an occupation, trade, or calling.
occupational guidance.
-
of or relating to occupation.
occupational troops.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of occupational
First recorded in 1840–50; occupation + -al 1
Explanation
If it has anything to do with your job, your work or your career, then you can describe it as occupational. Take the "al" off of occupational and you're left with occupation. So this adjective describes anything related to your occupation — you know, the professional work that keeps you occupied. You might hear people talk about "occupational hazards" — which can range from paper cuts to falling trees, depending on if you make a living filing or lumber-jacking.
Vocabulary lists containing occupational
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 4
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Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish
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"The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka
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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.
Quotas were also to be set for "employment of foreign nationals in any economic sector or occupational category", he said.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
A 2024 study led by MIT economist David Autor estimates that about 6 in 10 jobs Americans hold today are in occupational specialties that didn’t exist in 1940.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Regional labour department director Geraldine Panlilio said she had briefly shut the project down in September 2024 over violations of occupational safety standards.
From Barron's • May 25, 2026
Vaccination is also urged for people who have an occupational risk for exposure, such as certain lab workers.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026
Resolving the operational problems of late 1935 introduced a new occupational hazard for the Rad Lab staff: tedium.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
