occupy

[ok-yuh-pahy]

verb (used with object)

occupied, occupying 

1. to take or fill up (space, time, etc.).

   I occupied my evenings reading novels.

2. to engage or employ the mind, energy, or attention of.

   Occupy the children with a game while I prepare dinner.

   Synonyms: busy, use

3. to be a resident or tenant of; dwell in.

   We occupied the same house for 20 years.

4. to hold (a position, office, etc.).

5. to take possession and control of (a place), as by military invasion.

   Synonyms: seize, capture

6. Usually Occupy to participate in a protest about (a social or political issue), as by taking possession or control of buildings or public places that are symbolic of the issue.

   Let’s Occupy our voting rights!

   The Occupy Wall Street movement of late 2011 was a protest against economic inequality.

verb (used without object)

occupied, occupying 

1. to take or hold possession.

2. Usually Occupy to participate in a protest about a social or political issue.

adjective

1. Usually Occupy of or relating to a protest about a social or political issue, as in Occupy movement, Occupy protest, and Occupy candidate:

   the Occupy movement for social justice.

occupy

/ ˈɒkjʊˌpaɪ /

verb

1. to live or be established in (a house, flat, office, etc)

2. (often passive) to keep (a person) busy or engrossed; engage the attention of

3. (often passive) to take up (a certain amount of time or space)

4. to take and hold possession of, esp as a demonstration

   students occupied the college buildings

5. to fill or hold (a position or rank)

Other Word Forms

• occupiable adjective
• occupier noun
• misoccupy verb
• reoccupy verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of occupy¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English occupien, from Middle French occuper, from Latin occupāre “to seize, take hold, take up, make one's own,” equivalent to oc- oc- + -cup-, combining form of capere “to take, seize” + -āre infinitive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of occupy¹

C14: from Old French occuper, from Latin occupāre to seize hold of, from ob- (intensive) + capere to take

Synonym Study

See have.

Example Sentences

Marines and sailors invaded and occupied the port of Veracruz, ostensibly to block German arms shipments to the government of Mexican President Victoriano Huerta.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The bipartisan powers occupy such an overwhelming share of the political space that young people often feel like observers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Svetlana was given enough chores to occupy a regiment, from polishing all the family’s boots to making sure the horses that would pull the troika were properly shod.

Read more on Literature

If Miss Lumley’s mind had not already been so thoroughly occupied, she might well have invented such a game herself at this very moment, and thus changed the course of history forevermore.

Read more on Literature

Penelope found this revolting, frankly, but it kept the children happily occupied and thus provided an opportunity for her to exercise her powers of deduction.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• cover 
• establish 
• fill 
• hold 
• inhabit 
• involve 
• keep 
• maintain 
• own 
• populate 
• remain 
• sit 
• stay