preoccupation

[ pree-ok-yuh-pey-shuhn, pree-ok- ]

noun

1. the state of being preoccupied. preoccupy.
2. an act of preoccupying.

preoccupation

/ priːˌɒkjʊˈpeɪʃən; priːˈɒkjʊpənsɪ /

noun

1. the state of being preoccupied, esp mentally
2. something that holds the attention or preoccupies the mind

Other Words From

• over·pre·occu·pation noun
• self-pre·occu·pation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of preoccupation¹

1530–40; < Latin praeoccupātiōn- (stem of praeoccupātiō ) a taking possession beforehand. See pre-, occupation

Example Sentences

The largest study of student experience in the UK suggests the cost of living is a bigger preoccupation than tuition fees when thinking of the overall cost of going to university.

From BBC

To some people, this preoccupation with horror can seem tone deaf.

From Salon

Donald Trump has never made a secret of his antipathy to higher education, but scapegoating the academy has become a central preoccupation of his second presidential run.

From Salon

Combining juvenile lyrics with adult themes, the song manifests Abrams’ simultaneous preoccupation with teenage girlhood and position beyond it — something else she shares with Swift.

From Los Angeles Times

“Colored Television” is a sharp critique of this binary preoccupation with identity, the ways in which the culture obfuscates serious issues that only breed further confusion.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fixation
• obsession