occupy
Americanverb (used with object)
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occupies,
present (3rd person singular)
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occupied,
past participle, past
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occupying
present participle
-
to take or fill up (space, time, etc.).
I occupied my evenings reading novels.
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to engage or employ the mind, energy, or attention of.
Occupy the children with a game while I prepare dinner.
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to be a resident or tenant of; dwell in.
We occupied the same house for 20 years.
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to hold (a position, office, etc.).
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to take possession and control of (a place), as by military invasion.
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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)
-
occupies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
occupied,
past participle, past
-
occupying
present participle
-
to take or hold possession.
-
Usually Occupy to participate in a protest about a social or political issue.
adjective
verb
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to live or be established in (a house, flat, office, etc)
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(often passive) to keep (a person) busy or engrossed; engage the attention of
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(often passive) to take up (a certain amount of time or space)
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to take and hold possession of, esp as a demonstration
students occupied the college buildings
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to fill or hold (a position or rank)
Synonym Usage
See have.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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occupysimple
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occupiessimple
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have occupiedperfect
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has occupiedperfect
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am occupyingprogressive
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are occupyingprogressive
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is occupyingprogressive
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have been occupyingperfect progressive
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has been occupyingperfect progressive
Past
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occupiedsimple
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had occupiedperfect
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was occupyingprogressive
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were occupyingprogressive
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had been occupyingperfect progressive
Future
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
Explanation
When you spend a lot of your free time reading tea leaves, you occupy yourself with that pastime, meaning it takes up your time and keeps you busy. An army can invade another country and occupy its territory, and this use of the word reflects its original Latin meaning, which was "to seize." There are also less aggressive forms of occupation, as with the family of chipmunks who occupy your garden. If you are the mayor of your town, you occupy an important office. And if you're a fan of Andy Warhol, a series of Campbell's soup can paintings may occupy a prominent place on your walls.
Vocabulary lists containing occupy
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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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.
See Examples For:
Amid the many animal metaphors that invariably occupy reactions to my predictions, a dominant theme are dogs and crows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Today, they account for 20% of all mammal species, occupy habitats on every continent except Antarctica, and have adapted to a wide range of ecological niches.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
If working-class voters are those working low-wage jobs, then they are already majority women, who occupy two-thirds of the 40 lowest-paid occupations.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
"There is no worse space for a human to occupy – it's a permanent living nightmare."
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
I won’t say I became obsessed by all this, but it did occupy my thoughts a great deal in the months while I waited for spring to come.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Oracle occupies a unique position, according to D.A.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Planning documents lodged for the property said it "occupies an elevated position overlooking the Usk Valley, set within extensive landscaped grounds and the remnant parkland of a former estate".
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Neutral atomic hydrogen occupies an important intermediate position between the universe's larger gas supply and the molecular hydrogen that can ultimately fuel star formation.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
The private practice she started in 2022 in a small suite now occupies an entire floor and a downstairs reception area, with satellite offices in Chino and downtown Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
“The present always occupies you in such scenes—does it?” said he, with a look of doubt.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
"They do not participate in active combat operations. Units of the Korean People's Army have not been observed in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine," HUR said in a statement to the BBC.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Okinawan opposition to the U.S. presence goes back to World War II, when the U.S. occupied the islands following some of the bloodiest fighting of the war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Not bad for a venue that has occupied its current site since 1853, land that was once used for police-force horse paddocks and is a short, happy walk from downtown Melbourne.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Its closest known relative lived in what is now Spain, suggesting that these animals belonged to a broader lineage that once occupied regions that are now separated by the Atlantic Ocean.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
Mama would try to keep me occupied reading books, helping around the house, learning how to sew and cook, and practicing the piano—typical girls’ activities back then.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
"Today and every day, about 14,000 older people are occupying hospital beds when they are medically fit to leave, and it's often because of a lack of social care for them at home," she added.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
However, if your twin brother is already occupying one of the properties, he should be liable for routine costs like utilities, repairs and upkeep.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
For crinoids, tube feet play an important role in feeding, responding to water currents and occupying different ecological niches.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Eventually, he said, robots will become consumer products, occupying a place somewhere between smartphones and automobiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Neither of the other two men was hungry, and the meal was soon eaten, but not till they were sipping their coffee did M. Bouc mention the subject that was occupying all their minds.
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
