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

But the mystery of the apartment's occupants continues. —Allen Devlin, CBS News, 13 May 2026

Units not purchased by occupants would be made available to veterans, and if any were left, they would be put on the public market. —Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026

The driver that had been traveling eastbound and the two occupants of the other vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. —Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026

The department noted that all of the vehicle's occupants had their safety belts on at the time of the crash. —David Chiu, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026

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