occupant

noun

oc·​cu·​pant ˈä-kyə-pənt How to pronounce occupant (audio)
1
: one who acquires title by occupancy
2
: one who occupies a particular place
especially : resident

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nunez said the firefighters quickly initiated rescue operations and freed two of the occupants from the car. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2025 As of early Friday morning, occupants of the red Impala remained in critical condition, police said. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2025 But the thirty-seventh President looks like a model of restraint when compared with the forty-seventh, and his supposedly incendiary commentary anodyne by contrast to what emanates daily from the current occupant of the White House. Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025 According to a report from WHAS-TV, five people were hospitalized from a seven-vehicle crash, but none of the occupants had life-threatening injuries. Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for occupant

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of occupant was in 1578

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Occupant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occupant. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

occupant

noun
oc·​cu·​pant ˈäk-yə-pənt How to pronounce occupant (audio)
: a person who occupies something

Legal Definition

occupant

noun
oc·​cu·​pant ˈä-kyə-pənt How to pronounce occupant (audio)
1
: one who occupies a particular place
an occupant of the car
the occupant of the apartment
2
: one who acquires title by occupancy

More from Merriam-Webster on occupant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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