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

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)

Synonyms

• habitation
• occupation
• possession
• 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

Office occupancy rates have held flat at half-full in most major metro areas for over two years now, and 35% of workers in remote-capable jobs are working from home exclusively. —Jane Thier, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2023

All occupancy would be restricted according to age and income. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Nov. 2023

The building had yet to open because fire officials had cited safety issues and declined to sign off on its occupancy, the people said. —Michael Rothfeld, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023

San Francisco has been dealing with many of the same issues that face other major metropolitan areas: a downtown with steep declines in office occupancy rates; a police department with a shortage of officers; inflation, large budget deficits and an economy that has led to layoffs. —Tim Carman, Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2023

The Chrysler fared better, opening in 1930 with over 70 percent occupancy by companies including Western Union and, of course, Chrysler, whose founder, Walter Chrysler, had purchased the lease on the lot, and Van Alen’s design, before construction began. —Michael Snyder, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023

So, this is part of the rent-stabilization law that allows guests at single-room occupancy (SRO) hotels to become tenants, usually by living there continuously for six months or by staying there for one night and requesting a lease. —Curbed, 29 Sep. 2023

Any increase in the transient occupancy tax, often called TOT, would have to be approved by Carlsbad voters. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2023

In the early 1970s, with New York City itself careening toward bankruptcy, the Chrysler’s occupancy rate reached a catastrophic low of 17 percent, and even after its 1978 inscription by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, the building kept slipping further into disrepair. —Michael Snyder, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

occup(ant) + -ancy

First Known Use

1629, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing occupancy

• maximum occupancy
• double occupancy

• maximum occupancy
• double 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