occupy

[ ok-yuh-pahy ]

verb (used with object)

, oc·cu·pied, oc·cu·py·ing.

1. to take or fill up (space, time, etc.):

   I occupied my evenings reading novels.

2. to engage or employ the mind, energy, or attention of:

   Occupy the children with a game while I prepare dinner.

   Synonyms: busy, use

3. to be a resident or tenant of; dwell in:

   We occupied the same house for 20 years.

4. to hold (a position, office, etc.).
5. to take possession and control of (a place), as by military invasion.

   Synonyms: seize, capture

6. Usually Occupy. to participate in a protest about (a social or political issue), as by taking possession or control of buildings or public places that are symbolic of the issue:

   Let’s Occupy our voting rights!

   The Occupy Wall Street movement of late 2011 was a protest against economic inequality.

verb (used without object)

, oc·cu·pied, oc·cu·py·ing.

1. to take or hold possession.
2. Usually Occupy. to participate in a protest about a social or political issue.

adjective

1. Usually Occupy. of or relating to a protest about a social or political issue, as in Occupy movement, Occupy protest, and Occupy candidate:

   the Occupy movement for social justice.

occupy

/ ˈɒkjʊˌpaɪ /

verb

1. to live or be established in (a house, flat, office, etc)
2. often passive to keep (a person) busy or engrossed; engage the attention of
3. often passive to take up (a certain amount of time or space)
4. to take and hold possession of, esp as a demonstration

   students occupied the college buildings

5. to fill or hold (a position or rank)

Other Words From

• oc·cu·pi·a·ble adjective
• oc·cu·pi·er noun
• mis·oc·cu·py verb misoccupied misoccupying
• re·oc·cu·py verb (used with object) reoccupied reoccupying

Word History and Origins

Origin of occupy¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English occupien, from Middle French occuper, from Latin occupāre “to seize, take hold, take up, make one's own,” equivalent to oc- oc- + -cup-, combining form of capere “to take, seize” + -āre infinitive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of occupy¹

C14: from Old French occuper, from Latin occupāre to seize hold of, from ob- (intensive) + capere to take

Synonym Study

See have.

Example Sentences

However, after Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine informed fellow signatories that its application of the treaty in the occupied areas would be is "limited and is not guaranteed".

From BBC

Forays by settlers and Israeli soldiers to uproot Palestinians' olive trees, both in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, have escalated dramatically in the wake of the Hamas attack on Oct.

From Salon

Several Israeli officials are also eyeing the Trump victory as an opportunity to annex territory in the occupied West Bank, home to 3 million Palestinians.

From Los Angeles Times

I started acting up simply to keep myself occupied.

From Los Angeles Times

Royal Lodge, another residence in Windsor, occupied by the Duke of York, has its own security arrangements - said to cost several million pounds per year.

From BBC

Related Words

• cover
• establish
• fill
• hold
• inhabit
• involve
• keep
• maintain
• own
• populate
• remain
• sit
• stay