occupancy

American  

[ok-yuh-puhn-see] / ˈɒk yə pən si /

noun

plural

occupancies

1. the act, state, or condition of being or becoming a tenant or of living in or taking up quarters or space in or on something.

   Continued occupancy of the office depends on a rent reduction.

   Synonyms:

   possession, occupation, tenancy

2. the possession or tenancy of a property.

   You can have occupancy on June 1st.

3. the act of taking possession, as of a property.

4. the term during which one is an occupant.

5. the condition of being occupied.

   Occupancy of the auditorium is limited to 1200 people.

6. the use to which property is put.

7. exercise of dominion over property that has no owner so as to become the legal owner.

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occupancy British  

/ ˈɒkjʊpənsɪ /

noun

1. the act of occupying; possession of a property

2. law the possession and use of property by or without agreement and without any claim to ownership

3. law the act of taking possession of unowned property, esp land, with the intent of thus acquiring ownership

4. the condition or fact of being an occupant, esp a tenant

5. the period of time during which one is an occupant, esp of property

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Other Word Forms

• unoccupancy noun

Etymology

Origin of occupancy

First recorded in 1590–1600; occup(ant) + -ancy

Explanation

Occupancy is the act of owning, renting, or taking possession of a building. When you and your family move into a new house, you are taking occupancy of that home. You're probably most familiar with the word occupancy from signs in auditoriums and concert halls that state the room's "maximum occupancy." A maximum occupancy of 100 means only 100 people can safely fit inside that room at one time. A single-occupancy hotel room is meant for one person. The opposite of occupancy is vacancy––when no one is in possession. Hotels let you know when they have a vacancy by flashing a sign.

Example Sentences

Occupant businesses are seizing the opportunity to become owners, especially in downtown Los Angeles, where glittering high-rises have plummeted in value since occupancy dropped during the pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Kastle Systems said office occupancy rates in 10 major cities increased slightly last week compared to the prior week, as spring-break vacations concluded in parts of the country.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

The immediate impact on the hotel industry has been devastating, with occupancy in Dubai in mid-March down 68% from the same period last year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

“Interestingly in markets like the UAE, you had very high occupancy at the start of the conflict because of the inability of folks to get commercial flights out of the region,” Marriott CEO Capuano said.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

On Mount Johnson Island as well as in Florida, then, the same situation prevails — there is some occupancy of nests by adults, some production of eggs, but few or no young birds.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• ownership