occupier

British  

/ ˈɒkjʊˌpaɪə /

noun

1. a person who is in possession or occupation of a house or land

2. a person or thing that occupies

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Explanation

An occupier is the person who legally lives in the house, apartment, or other dwelling in question. If the census taker comes to your home, she'll want to know if you are the occupier of the house, how many people live there with you, and so on. Occupier is based on occupy, which itself is from the Latin occupare, meaning to take over or possess. An occupier is also an army that lives and works in a conquered foreign country. After World War II, the American, British, French, and Russian armies were all occupiers of the German city of Berlin. Each country controlled its own areas, but eventually, the American, British, and French section became West Berlin, and the Russian section became East Berlin.

Example Sentences

"The occupier, under the pretext of security and for its own interests, has closed the mosque," cleric Ayman Abu Najm, who had come from Beit Hanina, a Palestinian neighbourhood in east Jerusalem, said.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

You'll have the chance to comment on the valuation, along with the site occupier and landowner.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025

“We clearly see how the occupier is trying to distract our forces and make our combat work less concentrated,” Mr. Zelensky said.

From New York Times • May 16, 2024

Beyond the shooting, students inside the building described the “extreme force” in the police response per an interviewed occupier on WKCR, the Columbia student radio station.

From Salon • May 4, 2024

The walls were studded with nails; perhaps the Yoruba occupier had hung up many photos.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• denizen
• dweller
• holder
• incumbent
• inhabitant
• renter
• resident
• tenant