occupation
noun
oc·cu·pa·tion
ˌä-kyə-ˈpā-shən 
1
a
: an activity in which one engages
Pursuing pleasure has been his major occupation.
b
: the principal business of one's life : vocation
Teaching was her occupation.
2
a
: the possession, use, or settlement of land : occupancy
the last of the historic private houses in the metropolis … still in the occupation of its hereditary owner—
Sidney (Australia) Bull.
Sidney (Australia) Bull.
b
: the holding of an office or position
it is only … the occupation … of two offices at the same time that offends public policy—W. D. Miller
W. D. Miller3
a
: the act or process of taking possession of a place or area : seizure
Spain's occupation of the island
b
: the holding and control of an area by a foreign military force
the Roman occupation of Britain
c
: the military force occupying a country or the policies carried out by it
The occupation addressed the concerns of the local population.
Synonyms
Examples of occupation in a Sentence
He is thinking about changing occupations and becoming a police officer.
“What's your occupation?” “I'm a stay-at-home mom.”
Swimming was their main occupation at summer camp.
Some evidence of human occupation was found in these caves.
The offices are ready for occupation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael Caine plays a sodden British journalist during the 1950s occupation of what was then known as French Indochina.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
Born in what is today northwestern North Korea in 1920, Rev. Moon grew up in a thatched hut during the brutal Japanese occupation.
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Some in Lithuania are worried that the economic and diplomatic benefits of this migration have come at the cost of creeping Russification in a small nation that had struggled to preserve its language and culture during the Soviet occupation.
—Tomas Dapkus, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The Post is not fully identifying the SBU officials or the other individuals because publishing their names could put them in danger, and would also risk the safety of family members in Russian captivity or living under Russian occupation.
—Kostiantyn Khudov, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
In the earlier videos on this profile, Nelson acts out tales of Norwegian ancestors surviving Nazi occupation in the 1940s before immigrating to the U.S.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
Oddly, that 2016 occupation originally stemmed from a legal battle over another intentional burn.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024
But in the future, Jews might even remember him as the leader who inflicted the most harm on his people since the squabbling Hasmonean kings brought civil war and Roman occupation to Judea nearly 21 centuries ago.
—Anshel Pfeffer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024
This behavior cuts across all demographics, regardless of age, gender or occupation.
—Dr. Talia Varley, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
Born in what is today northwestern North Korea in 1920, Rev. Moon grew up in a thatched hut during the brutal Japanese occupation.
—TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
Some in Lithuania are worried that the economic and diplomatic benefits of this migration have come at the cost of creeping Russification in a small nation that had struggled to preserve its language and culture during the Soviet occupation.
—Tomas Dapkus, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The Post is not fully identifying the SBU officials or the other individuals because publishing their names could put them in danger, and would also risk the safety of family members in Russian captivity or living under Russian occupation.
—Kostiantyn Khudov, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
In the earlier videos on this profile, Nelson acts out tales of Norwegian ancestors surviving Nazi occupation in the 1940s before immigrating to the U.S.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024
Oddly, that 2016 occupation originally stemmed from a legal battle over another intentional burn.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024
But in the future, Jews might even remember him as the leader who inflicted the most harm on his people since the squabbling Hasmonean kings brought civil war and Roman occupation to Judea nearly 21 centuries ago.
—Anshel Pfeffer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024
This behavior cuts across all demographics, regardless of age, gender or occupation.
—Dr. Talia Varley, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'occupation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to occupation
Dictionary Entries Near occupation
Cite this Entry
“Occupation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occupation. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
occupation
noun
oc·cu·pa·tion
ˌäk-yə-ˈpā-shən
1
: one's business or profession
2
: the taking possession and control of an area
occupation of a conquered country
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