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

Manages expansion projects for Broward County from the inception to the final construction and occupancy of those projects. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024

Plus, thanks to the higher occupancy, this would make for the perfect getaway for a group of friends or family. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2024

Hard Rock had the highest average occupancy at 88.8%, while Golden Nugget had the lowest at 53.8%. —Wayne Parry, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024

Airbnb listings along the U.S. path of totality, or the narrow strip stretching from Texas to Maine from where people will be able to view the sun's corona, have seen occupancy levels skyrocket to nearly 90%, the vacation rental firm said. —Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024

The approval has already increased the resale value of the Doral holdings for the Trump family, even if the hotel itself has a relatively low occupancy. —Eric Lipton, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

But the legislature did not extend the county’s 2% hotel occupancy tax, set to expire in 2038. —Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 2 Apr. 2024

Real-time building environmental and occupancy information is being combined with historical and external weather predictions to optimize energy supply with a building’s energy demand. —Billal Hammoud, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

Last year, the studios were able to maintain a 70% occupancy level despite the impact of the Hollywood strikes and are on track to keep that level this year with several big Hollywood shoots coming soon, though NDAs are keeping details under wraps. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024

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