occupy Meaning, Definition & Usage

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

WordNet

Oc"cu*py transitive verb
Etymology
OE. occupien, F. occuper, fr.L. occupare; ob (see Ob-) + a word akin to capere to take. See Capacious.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Occupied ; present participle & verbal noun Occupying
Definitions
  1. To take or hold possession of; to hold or keep for use; to possess.
    Woe occupieth the fine [/end] of our gladness. Chaucer.
    The better apartments were already occupied. W. Irving
    .
  2. 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. Sir J. Herschel.
  3. To possess or use the time or capacity of; to engage the service of; to employ; to busy.
    An archbishop may have cause to occupy more chaplains than six. Eng. Statute (Hen. VIII. )
    They occupied themselves about the Sabbath. 2 Macc. viii. 27.
  4. To do business in; to busy one's self with. Obs.
    All the ships of the sea, with their mariners, were in thee to occupy the merchandise. Ezek. xxvii. 9.
    Not able to occupy their old crafts. Robynson (More's Utopia).
  5. To use; to expend; to make use of. Obs.
    All the gold that was occupied for the work. Ex. xxxviii. 24.
    They occupy not money themselves. Robynson (More's Utopia).
  6. To have sexual intercourse with. Obs. Nares.
Oc"cu*py intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To hold possession; to be an occupant. "Occupy till I come." Luke xix. 13.
  2. To follow business; to traffic.

Webster 1913