Definition Definition

occupy - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'occupy' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Occupy [ v. i.]
- To hold possession; to be an occupant.
- To follow business; to traffic.
2 . Occupy [ v. t.]
- To take or hold possession of; to hold or keep for use; to possess.
- To hold, or fill, the dimensions of; to take up the room or space of; to cover or fill; as, the camp occupies five acres of ground.
- To possess or use the time or capacity of; to engage the service of; to employ; to busy.
- To do business in; to busy one's self with.
- To use; to expend; to make use of.
- To have sexual intercourse with.

Meaning of 'occupy' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . occupy [ v]
Meaning (1):
- assume, as of positions or roles
Example in sentence:
  • he occupies the position of manager;
  • She took the job as director of development;
  • the young prince will soon occupy the throne
Meaning (2):
- live (in a certain place)
Example in sentence:
  • he occupies two rooms on the top floor;
  • She resides in Princeton
Meaning (3):
- consume all of one's attention or time
Example in sentence:
  • Her interest in butterflies absorbs her completely
Meaning (4):
- march aggressively into another's territory by military force for the purposes of conquest and occupation
Example in sentence:
  • Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939
Meaning (5):
- be on the mind of
Example in sentence:
  • I worry about the second Germanic consonant shift
Meaning (6):
- require (time or space)
Example in sentence:
  • It took three hours to get to work this morning;
  • This event occupied a very short time
Meaning (7):
- keep busy with
Example in sentence:
  • She busies herself with her butterfly collection
Meaning (8):
- occupy the whole of
Example in sentence:
  • The liquid fills the container