definitions

occupy

[ ok-yuh-pahy ]
/ ˈɒk yəˌpaɪ /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR occupy 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 initial capital letter) to participate in a protest about a social or political issue.

adjective

(usually initial capital letter) 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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RELATED WORDS

employ, involve, attend, fill, own, populate, sit, keep, cover, stay, maintain, remain, inhabit, hold, establish, capture, conquer, invade, overrun, busy

Nearby words

occupational psychology, occupational safety and health administration, occupational therapy, occupied territories, occupier, occupy, occur, occur to one, occurrence, occurrent, occy

Origin of occupy

1300–50; Middle English occupien < Middle French occuper < 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

Related forms

Synonym study

1, 3–5. See have.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for occupy

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