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oc·cu·pan·cy | \ ˈä-kyə-pən(t)-sē 
\
\ plural occupancies
Definition of occupancy
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)
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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 In early May, Texas announced non-essential manufacturing facilities would be allowed to begin operating at 25% of total occupancy starting May 18.
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Sarah Ewall-wice, CBS News, "Rallies might be on pause, but Trump campaign merchandise churns on," 14 May 2020 Residents can dine in at restaurants as long as tables are spaced at least six feet apart and the restaurant limits itself to moderate occupancy.
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Catherine Marfin, Dallas News, "A guide to Dallas County’s new color-coded coronavirus recommendations," 13 May 2020 Marriott said Monday that occupancy at its hotels in Greater China reached 25% in April, up from less than 10% in mid February.
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Hanna Ziady, CNN, "2020 is a catastrophe for tourism businesses. Here's what the industry needs to get back on its feet," 13 May 2020 But this year occupancy has cratered since the state of emergency went into effect in mid-March.
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Washington Post, "Virginia Beach merchants fret over beach closures as Memorial Day approaches," 13 May 2020 Many restaurant owners said the 33% in-person occupancy would not be enough to meet overhead costs.
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Ben Tobin, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer announces plans to expand outdoor seating for restaurants," 12 May 2020 The reopening is scheduled for the day after Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to permit the reopening of gyms, and a 50 percent occupancy at restaurants.
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Silvia Foster-frau, ExpressNews.com, "Archbishop soars over San Antonio as parishes prepare to reopen," 11 May 2020 No more than 50 percent occupancy is allowed, and tables must be spread six to eight feet apart.
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Fox News, "America reopening: Dozens of states including Michigan, Ohio ease coronavirus restrictions this week," 11 May 2020 Hotel occupancies across the country are expected to plummet during the spring break and Easter vacation period.
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Andrea Navarro, Bloomberg.com, "North America’s Best Restaurant Remains Open in AMLO’s Mexico," 10 May 2020
See MoreThese 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.
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More Definitions for occupancy
occupancy
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of occupancy
: the act of living or staying in a particular place
: the number of people who are in a particular building or room at one time
See the full definition for occupancy in the English Language Learners Dictionary
occupancy
nounoc·cu·pan·cy | \ ˈä-kyə-pən-sē \
\ plural occupancies
Kids Definition of occupancy
: the act of using, living in, or taking possession of a place
occupancy
nounoc·cu·pan·cy | \ ˈä-kyə-pən-sē \
\ plural occupancies
Legal Definition of occupancy
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
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Comments on occupancy
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Time Traveler for occupancy
The first known use of occupancy was in 1629
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