occupancy

noun

oc·​cu·​pan·​cy ˈä-kyə-pən(t)-sē 

plural occupancies

1

: the fact or condition of holding, possessing, or residing in or on something

occupancy of the estate

The house is unsafe for human occupancy.

2

: the act or fact of taking or having possession (as of unowned land) to acquire ownership

3

: the fact or condition of being occupied

a single occupancy room

Occupancy by more than 400 persons is unlawful.

4

: the use to which a property is put

industrial occupancy

5

: a building or part of a building intended to be occupied (as by a tenant)

Synonyms of occupancy

• occupation
• habitation
• residency

Examples of occupancy in a Sentence

The sign above the auditorium door says, “Maximum occupancy: 500 persons.”

the landlord notified us of the need to cease occupancy in three months, when our apartment building would be sold

Recent Examples on the Web

The highest occupancy is Thursday, when nearly 68% of rooms are booked so far, Ivery said. —Ricky Sayer, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026

The Society Apartments on Pratt Street were cleared by the city for occupancy just a week ago and a preleasing push has drawn nine applications — all now approved — with one of the 38 apartments already occupied. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026

With Chicago office buildings still at 57% of pre-pandemic occupancy levels in March, according to the latest report by Kastle Systems, Fooda is growing despite a smaller pool of potential downtown foragers hitting their respective lobbies during lunchtime. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

Bott, who stepped down as president this year, acknowledged that since 2023 at the hotel, occupancy, average daily rate and revenue generated per room have not been great. —Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

occup(ant) + -ancy

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing occupancy

• double occupancy
• maximum occupancy

Kids Definition

occupancy

noun

oc·​cu·​pan·​cy ˈäk-yə-pən-sē 

plural occupancies

1

: the act or condition of occupying or taking possession

takes occupancy on the first of the month

2

: the state of being occupied

an occupancy limit of 5 persons

Legal Definition

occupancy

noun

oc·​cu·​pan·​cy ˈä-kyə-pən-sē 

plural occupancies

1

: the fact or condition of holding, possessing, or residing in or on something

occupancy of the premises

2

: the act or fact of taking or having possession (as of abandoned property) to acquire ownership

3

: the fact or condition of being occupied

occupancy by more than 400 persons is unlawful

4

: the use to which a property is put

designed for industrial occupancy