occupancy

noun oc·cu·pan·cy \ ˈä-kyə-pən(t)-sē \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of occupancy

plural occupancies

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

occupancy of the estate

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

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)

See occupancy defined for English-language learners

See occupancy defined for kids

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 of occupancy from the Web

That means a 2,000-square-foot patio with 200-person occupancy is coming.

— marc bona, cleveland.com, "Ignite Brewing Co. expansion under way in Barberton," 18 Apr. 2018
The company also projected $540,000 annually in real estate taxes, most going to Elmhurst Unit School District 205, after occupancy had stabilized.

— chuck fieldman, chicagotribune.com, "Rejected senior housing proposal coming back, unchanged, in Oak Brook," 17 Apr. 2018
Since opening in 2008, the hotel has averaged at around 70 percent occupancy year-round, Bucholtz said.

— joshua fechter, San Antonio Express-News, "Before and after photos of the Grand Hyatt hotel’s $19 million makeover," 10 Apr. 2018
Demolition of the Bradley Center is expected to get underway once the Bucks take occupancy of the new arena.

— james b. nelson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "BMO Harris Bradley Center farewell: Bucks playoffs, Bon Jovi, and gratitude to Jane Pettit," 9 Apr. 2018
Refinery 46, which also includes a brewery called Black Circle Brewing, has 10 tenants, which puts it at about 60 percent occupancy.

— james briggs, Indianapolis Star, "Briggs: This Broad Ripple warehouse could help fix the hellscape of home service contractors," 6 Apr. 2018
The new tenant, which expects to employ more than 100 full- and part-time workers, brings the mall’s occupancy to 90 percent, the owner said.

— lorraine mirabella, baltimoresun.com, "Discounter Gabe's has opened in Eastpoint Mall in Dundalk," 6 Apr. 2018
Relations quickly soured amid abysmal hotel occupancy numbers and allegations by Ithaca and other hotel unit owners of financial mismanagement or misconduct.

— juan zamorano, The Seattle Times, "Trump officials fight eviction from Panama hotel they manage," 24 Feb. 2018
City Attorney Vincent Brown said Opa-locka should never have issued the occupancy certificate.

— jay weaver, miamiherald, "Opa-locka power broker now running police security for controversial strip club | Miami Herald," 27 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'occupancy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.