verb
occupy
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verb
1
To live in, use, or take up a space.
"The family has occupied this house for three generations."
"The sofa occupies most of the living room."
2
To hold someone's attention or fill their time.
"Work has occupied all of my evenings this week."
3
To take control of a place, especially by military force.
"Troops occupied the border town within days."
How to Use Occupy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo take up space, time, or attention — or to take control of a place by force.
Common pairings
occupy a position
occupy space
occupy territory
Word Forms
occupied past tense, occupy plural, occupied plural, occupies singular, occupy singular, occupied singular, occupiest singular, occupieth singular
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Etymology
From Latin occupare, "to seize, take possession of", from ob- plus capere ("to take, seize") — the same root behind "capture".