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occupy

[ ok-yuh-pahy ]
/ ˈɒk yəˌpaɪ /
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See synonyms for: occupy / occupied / occupies / occupying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), oc·cu·pied, oc·cu·py·ing.
verb (used without object), oc·cu·pied, oc·cu·py·ing.
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; Occupy candidate:the Occupy movement for social justice.
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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

synonym study for occupy

1, 3-5. See have.

OTHER WORDS FROM occupy

oc·cu·pi·a·ble, adjectiveoc·cu·pi·er, nounmis·oc·cu·py, verb, mis·oc·cu·pied, mis·oc·cu·py·ing.re·oc·cu·py, verb (used with object), re·oc·cu·pied, re·oc·cu·py·ing.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use occupy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for occupy

occupy
/ (ˈɒkjʊˌpaɪ) /

verb -pies, -pying or -pied (tr)
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 demonstrationstudents occupied the college buildings
to fill or hold (a position or rank)

Word Origin for occupy

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