occupant

American  

[ok-yuh-puhnt] / ˈɒk yə pənt /

noun

1. a person, family, group, or organization that lives in, occupies, or has quarters or space in or on something.

   the occupant of a taxicab; the occupants of the building.

2. a tenant of a house, estate, office, etc.; resident.

3. Law.

   1. an owner through occupancy.

   2. one who is in actual possession.

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occupant British  

/ ˈɒkjʊpənt /

noun

1. a person, thing, etc, holding a position or place

2. law a person who has possession of something, esp an estate, house, etc; tenant

3. law a person who acquires by occupancy the title to something previously without an owner

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Other Word Forms

• nonoccupant noun
• preoccupant noun

Etymology

Origin of occupant

1590–1600; < Middle French occupant, present participle of occuper. See occupy, -ant

Example Sentences

She said she and other bystanders tried to open the door of the damaged Nissan to help free the occupants but were unable to do so.

From Los Angeles Times

She’s the nation’s top civil-rights enforcer, and few occupants of her office have had as high a public profile as she does—including close to 1.6 million followers on social media.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hyundai said it has developed an over-the-air software update to “enhance the system’s response to contact with occupants or objects, including additional operating safeguards and to enhance overall system safety.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The three men who died and the injured passenger were travelling in the white Ford while the occupants of the blue BMW were arrested.

From BBC

There we joined the occupants of other barracks—some 35,000 at that time—stretching out of sight in the pale glow of the street lamps, feet growing numb on the cold cinder ground.

From Literature

Related Words

• denizen
• dweller
• holder
• incumbent
• inhabitant
• renter
• resident
• tenant