occupant

noun

oc·​cu·​pant ˈä-kyə-pənt 

1

: one who acquires title by occupancy

2

: one who occupies a particular place

especially : resident

Synonyms of occupant

• inhabitant
• resident
• tenant
• resider

Examples of occupant in a Sentence

The apartment's previous occupant was a painter.

Both of the car's occupants were injured.

Recent Examples on the Web

The occupants of the home were unharmed, but the driver was pronounced dead on the scene. —Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 22 Nov. 2025

The new crash test dummy will help better assess how seatbelts, airbags, and other vehicle parts impact small female occupants. —Sarah Lapidus, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025

The captain sustained minor injuries following the incident, while none of the other 111 occupants on board the airplane were injured, per the report. —Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025

Soon after the pursuit ensued the fleeing vehicle crashed, and the three occupants of the fleeing vehicle are deceased. —Matt Cavallo, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French, from present participle of occuper "to occupy"

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

occupant

noun

oc·​cu·​pant ˈäk-yə-pənt 

: a person who occupies something

especially : resident entry 2 sense 1

Legal Definition

occupant

noun

oc·​cu·​pant ˈä-kyə-pənt 

1

: one who occupies a particular place

an occupant of the car

the occupant of the apartment

2

: one who acquires title by occupancy