preoccupy

verb

pre·​oc·​cu·​py (ˌ)prē-ˈä-kyə-ˌpī 

preoccupied; preoccupying; preoccupies

transitive verb

1

: to engage or engross the interest or attention of beforehand or preferentially

2

: to take possession of or fill beforehand or before another

Examples of preoccupy in a Sentence

The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers.

Recent Examples on the Web

That leaves companies such as Micron caught between strong underlying demand and a market preoccupied with macroeconomic risks. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026

The article emphasizes that Le Guin’s books are preoccupied with nature. — Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026

The dynamics that structure The Niccolini-Cowper Madonna preoccupied Raphael. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026

In a sense, the recent buildings are oddly backward-looking solutions to a dramaturgical problem that preoccupied the German-speaking avant-garde of the 1920s. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin praeoccupare, literally, to seize in advance, from prae- + occupare to seize, occupy

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for preoccupy

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi

Kids Definition

preoccupy

verb

pre·​oc·​cu·​py (ˈ)prē-ˈäk-yə-ˌpī 

1

: to hold the attention of beforehand

2

: to take possession of before another

preoccupation

(ˌ)prē-ˌäk-yə-ˈpā-shən

noun