occupied

[ ok-yuh-pahyd ]

adjective

1. lived in:

   Now that he is no longer a member of the legislature, he and his family must move out of the occupied premises within 30 days.

2. (of space, time, etc.) taken or filled up:

   Have you ever walked into a public restroom and mistakenly opened an occupied stall?

3. taken possession of and controlled by a hostile military force:

   After Germany invaded in 1914, the Belgian Commission for Relief ensured that Belgians living in the occupied region did not starve.

4. employed or engaged, as one’s attention, energy, etc.; busy:

   He is often bored at home, not receiving much attention or affection from his occupied parents.

5. (of a position, office, etc.) held:

   The amount of the salary markup for working under extraordinary conditions depends on the occupied position.

6. Sometimes Occupied. (of a place) taken possession of and controlled by demonstrators who see it as symbolic of a social or political issue:

   People stopped outside the occupied library to show their support for those inside, who were protesting cuts to public services.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of occupy ( def ).

Other Words From

• o·ver·oc·cu·pied adjective
• self-oc·cu·pied adjective
• un·der·oc·cu·pied adjective
• well-oc·cu·pied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of occupied¹

occupy ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Under the laws of war, the forced displacement of any civilians inside an occupied territory is prohibited, unless it is necessary for their security or for an imperative military reason.

From BBC

But he did give an indication of what he expected that policy to be, citing the previous Trump administration’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and to recognise the occupied Golan Heights as Israeli territory – decisions as warmly welcomed by the Israeli right wing as they were categorically rejected by Palestinians.

From BBC

The following year, he said: “I think Israel has title deed to Judea and Samaria,” using the name used by many in Israel for the area which became the occupied West Bank when it was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

From BBC

On Monday, Smotrich said that 2025 would be "the year of sovereignty" in the West Bank, adding that he had instructed Israeli authorities to begin preparatory work for annexation of the occupied territory.

From BBC

There, most parcels are likely to be occupied by a strip mall or office building, but some apartments exist in commercial zones as well.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• engaged
• peopled
• populated
• settled