preoccupy

[ pree-ok-yuh-pahy ]

verb (used with object)

, pre·oc·cu·pied, pre·oc·cu·py·ing.

1. to absorb or engross to the exclusion of other things.
2. to occupy beforehand or before others.

preoccupy

/ priːˈɒkjʊˌpaɪ /

verb

1. to engross the thoughts or mind of
2. to occupy before or in advance of another

Other Words From

• pre·occu·pier noun
• over·pre·occu·py verb (used with object) overpreoccupied overpreoccupying

Word History and Origins

Origin of preoccupy¹

First recorded in 1560–70; pre- + occupy

Word History and Origins

Origin of preoccupy¹

C16: from Latin praeoccupāre to capture in advance, from prae before + occupāre to seize, take possession of

Example Sentences

They could help or hinder: provide the moral force for urgent action or preoccupy us with crisis management.

From Salon

Delays in U.S. assistance, particularly since Israel’s war with Hamas began to preoccupy top administration officials, triggered deep concerns in Kyiv and Europe.

From Seattle Times

Most of his Maynooth colleagues, he noted, focus on legal questions related to Ireland or the European Union, rather than on the American constitutional issues that preoccupy him.

From New York Times

“He meant that ’Don’t preoccupy yourself with worrying about whether you’re a good representative of your family or not,'” Patrick Kennedy, now a former congressman, said in a recent Zoom interview.

From Seattle Times

The best trick may be to simply preoccupy your mind until slumber comes naturally.

From Scientific American

Related Words

• consume
• engross