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

Signed in May 1977, the order mandates that federal agencies avoid, to the extent possible, the long- and short-term adverse impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of floodplains. —Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 27 Feb. 2026

For the Lunar New Year, the company said the top 10 destinations, with hotel occupancy rates of 90% or higher, were all located in southern or coastal cities, including Sanya in the tropical island province of Hainan. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026

Enchanted Princess Passenger occupancy? —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026

While occupancy was in the low 80% range when Atlanta took over, the Braves on Wednesday announced that figure is now around 90%. —Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 25 Feb. 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