occupy
verb
oc·cu·py
ˈä-kyə-ˌpī 
occupied; occupying
1
: to engage the attention or energies of
They occupied themselves with video games.
2
a
: to take up (a place or extent in space)
this chair is occupied
the fireplace will occupy this corner of the room
b
: to take or fill (an extent in time)
the hobby occupies all of my free time
3
a
: to take or hold possession or control of
enemy troops occupied the ridge
b
: to fill or perform the functions of (an office or position)
will occupy the newly created office of chancellor—
Current Biography
Current Biography4
: to reside in as an owner or tenant
occupies an apartment on a two-year lease
Synonyms
Examples of occupy in a Sentence
They have occupied the apartment for three years.
She occupies the house that her grandfather built 50 years ago.
They own another house that they occupy only three months out of the year.
They occupy the room next to ours.
This region was once almost completely occupied by forests.
Their house occupies a beautiful spot next to the ocean.
Much of our time is occupied by answering questions from our customers.
These questions have continued to occupy her mind.
Recent Examples on the Web
India also bristled at the way one plank of the initiative—the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor—moved through territory that New Delhi insists belongs to India and is illegally occupied by Pakistan.
—Harsh V. Pant, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2024
The property occupies a sizable 6,426-square-foot lot.
—Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
The contested seats are those currently occupied by Chairman James O’Connor and Anna Tovar, neither of whom is seeking re-election, and Peterson, who is running again.
—Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Tiger Adventure Vehicles Farther forward, the extra-long kitchen block occupies the majority of the driver-side wall, giving traveling cooks a two-place induction cooktop, microwave, 122-L AC/DC fridge/freezer, slide-out cutting board and composite countertop.
—New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for occupy 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Harsh V. Pant, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2024
The property occupies a sizable 6,426-square-foot lot.
—Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
The contested seats are those currently occupied by Chairman James O’Connor and Anna Tovar, neither of whom is seeking re-election, and Peterson, who is running again.
—Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Tiger Adventure Vehicles Farther forward, the extra-long kitchen block occupies the majority of the driver-side wall, giving traveling cooks a two-place induction cooktop, microwave, 122-L AC/DC fridge/freezer, slide-out cutting board and composite countertop.
—New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for occupy
Dictionary Entries Near occupy
Cite this Entry
“Occupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occupy. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
occupy
verb
oc·cu·py
ˈäk-yə-ˌpī
occupied; occupying
1
a
: to take up the attention or energies of
reading occupied me most of the summer
b
: to fill up (space or time)
sports occupied most of their spare time
a liter of water occupies 1000 cubic centimeters of space
2
a
: to take or hold possession of
enemy troops occupied the town
b
: to live in as owner or tenant
occupy an apartment
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share