occupied

American  

[ok-yuh-pahyd] / ˈɒk yəˌpaɪd /

adjective

1. lived in.

   Now that he is no longer a member of the legislature, he and his family must move out of the occupied premises within 30 days.

2. (of space, time, etc.) taken or filled up.

   Have you ever walked into a public restroom and mistakenly opened an occupied stall?

3. taken possession of and controlled by a hostile military force.

   After Germany invaded in 1914, the Belgian Commission for Relief ensured that Belgians living in the occupied region did not starve.

4. employed or engaged, as one’s attention, energy, etc.; busy.

   He is often bored at home, not receiving much attention or affection from his occupied parents.

5. (of a position, office, etc.) held.

   The amount of the salary markup for working under extraordinary conditions depends on the occupied position.

6. Sometimes Occupied (of a place) taken possession of and controlled by demonstrators who see it as symbolic of a social or political issue.

   People stopped outside the occupied library to show their support for those inside, who were protesting cuts to public services.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of occupy.

Other Word Forms

• overoccupied adjective
• self-occupied adjective
• underoccupied adjective
• well-occupied adjective

Etymology

Origin of occupied

occupy ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

His remarks come at a particularly fraught moment for Palestinian society, after more than two years of war in the Gaza Strip and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.

From Barron's

In June 2020 Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle described the occupied protest around her city’s east police precinct as “a summer of love.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But the Fed has long occupied a distinct place in the system.

From Barron's

The shape-shifting country was occupied by the czars and the British in the 19th century; the British stayed until after World War II and had a hand in delineating the oil-rich southern border with Iraq.

From The Wall Street Journal

“To the extent possible” became the cornerstone of the city’s explanation of why it had used the number of beds occupied as a catch-all for the city’s interactions with people.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• engaged
• peopled
• populated
• settled