occupied
Americanadjective
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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.
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(of space, time, etc.) taken or filled up.
Have you ever walked into a public restroom and mistakenly opened an occupied stall?
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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.
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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.
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(of a position, office, etc.) held.
The amount of the salary markup for working under extraordinary conditions depends on the occupied position.
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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.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of occupied
Explanation
Something that's occupied is being used or is unavailable. If the sign on the restroom door says occupied, it means there's someone in there and you're just going to have to wait. If every seat on the subway is occupied, you'll have to stand, and if the apartment you were hoping to rent is occupied, you'll have to start your search all over again. When you're busy with work, you're occupied — you're engaged, or distracted by it. And when a country is occupied, it's been invaded and taken over by a foreign power — this last meaning was first used during World War II, referring to German-occupied France.
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.
It says its troops conduct self-defence operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in accordance with international law.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
As a consequence, Miliband said this should be reflected "in the economic relationships we choose to have with the occupied territories".
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The football association named the comeback tournament -- which includes over 200 teams from the occupied West Bank, Gaza, and refugee camps in Lebanon -- the "1,000 Martyrs Cup".
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
In very pure metals, these Landau levels can repeatedly pass through the Fermi level, the energy boundary between occupied and unoccupied electronic states.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026
Lieutenant Dana had led his troops into Bryantown, a well-known place of Confederate intrigue, commandeered the tavern, and occupied the town.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
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.
