Synonyms

occupy

American

[ok-yuh-pahy] / ˈɒk yəˌpaɪ /

verb (used with object)

occupied, occupying

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

I occupied my evenings reading novels.
to engage or employ the mind, energy, or attention of.

Occupy the children with a game while I prepare dinner.

Synonyms:

busy, use
to be a resident or tenant of; dwell in.

We occupied the same house for 20 years.
to hold (a position, office, etc.).
to take possession and control of (a place), as by military invasion.

Synonyms:

seize, capture
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

to take or hold possession.
Usually Occupy to participate in a protest about a social or political issue.

adjective

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 British

/ ˈɒkjʊˌpaɪ /

verb

to live or be established in (a house, flat, office, etc)
(often passive) to keep (a person) busy or engrossed; engage the attention of
(often passive) to take up (a certain amount of time or space)
to take and hold possession of, esp as a demonstration

students occupied the college buildings
to fill or hold (a position or rank)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See have.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of occupy

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

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.

In St. Clair, Magna has opened its facility to tours by other automakers and suppliers, hoping to lure new business to occupy empty swaths of the factory floor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

In a ruling, Mr Justice Choudhury refused the injunction bid, stating Mr Rosindell's case was "intrinsically weak" and that he "ought to have realised that he had surrendered his right to occupy" his office.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

In addition to Raman, three other DSA-backed politicians now occupy seats on the 15-member City Council.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

Additionally, the basement section of the unit that my wife and I occupy produces variable rental income of about $15,000 per year through the short-term-rental service Airbnb.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

“The basic principle of physical science is this: two bodies cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Do you understand that?”

From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023