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occupy definition

oc·cupy (äk′yo̵̅o̅ pī′, -yə-)

transitive verb occupied -·pied′, occupying -·py′·ing

  1. to take possession of by settlement or seizure
  2. to hold possession of by tenure; specif.,
    1. to dwell in
    2. to hold (a position or office)
  3. to take up or fill up (space, time, etc.)
  4. to employ, busy, or engage (oneself, one's attention, mind, etc.)

Etymology: ME occupien < OFr occuper < L occupare, to take possession of, possess < ob- (see ob-) + capere, to seize: see have

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

occupy Synonyms

occupy

v.

  1. To take possession

    conquer, take over, invade; see obtain 1, seize 2.

  2. To fill space

    remain, tenant, reside, live in, hold, take up, pervade, keep, own, be in command, extend, control, fill an office, maintain, involve, permeate; see also fill 2, sit 2.

    Antonyms empty*, remove*, move. *

  3. To absorb attention

    engage, employ, engross, attend, monopolize, fill, interest, immerse, arrest, absorb, take up, utilize, involve, employ one's time in, keep busy, busy, be active with, be concerned with; see also fascinate.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

occupy Usage Examples

Object

  • position: The Abbey town of Paisley occupies a unique position in Scottish history.

Adjective complement

  • most: Sphagnum bog with lawns, hollows and mounds is present across the central mire expanse, which occupies most of the site.

Preposition: as

  • dwelling: Human Rights Act Article 8 applies in this case because the building is occupied as a dwelling.

Preposition: in

  • solidarity: News reached Rome and the Dutch Embassy was occupied in solidarity.

Preposition: by

  • troop: INFORMATION ' Guadalcanal ' : the largest of the Solomon Islands, occupied by Japanese troops during the Second World War.
occupy usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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"occupy." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/occupy>

APA Style

occupy. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/occupy

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