occupation

noun

oc·​cu·​pa·​tion ˌä-kyə-ˈpā-shən 

1

a

: an activity in which one engages

Pursuing pleasure has been his major occupation.

b

: the principal business of one's life : vocation

Teaching was her occupation.

2

a

: the possession, use, or settlement of land : occupancy

the last of the historic private houses in the metropolis … still in the occupation of its hereditary owner

—Sidney (Australia) Bull.

b

: the holding of an office or position

it is only … the occupation … of two offices at the same time that offends public policy

—W. D. Miller

3

a

: the act or process of taking possession of a place or area : seizure

Spain's occupation of the island

b

: the holding and control of an area by a foreign military force

the Roman occupation of Britain

c

: the military force occupying a country or the policies carried out by it

The occupation addressed the concerns of the local population.

Synonyms

• calling
• employment
• game
• lay
• line
• profession
• trade
• vocation
• work

Choose the Right Synonym for occupation

work, employment, occupation, calling, pursuit, métier, business mean a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living.

work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not.

her work as a hospital volunteer

employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.

your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training.

his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession.

the ministry seemed my true calling

pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest.

her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted.

acting was my one and only métier

business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs.

the business of managing a hotel

Examples of occupation in a Sentence

He is thinking about changing occupations and becoming a police officer.

“What's your occupation?” “I'm a stay-at-home mom.”

Swimming was their main occupation at summer camp.

Some evidence of human occupation was found in these caves.

The offices are ready for occupation.

Recent Examples on the Web

The young and old are piled in together -- pets fill the floor -- all with stories of life under Russian occupation. —Britt Clennett, ABC News, 12 Sep. 2023

Continued occupation could force Israel into a hard choice: Formalize Jewish minority rule over disenfranchised Palestinians, or give them the right to vote and potentially end the Zionist dream of a Jewish homeland in historic Palestine. —Tia Goldenberg, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023

Following in a parent's footsteps to pursue the same occupation is commonplace, especially in the world of sports. —Scooby Axson, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023

This affects regulations on agriculture, finance, insurance, labor, natural resources, property, business and commerce and occupations. —Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 30 Aug. 2023

Advertisement San Diego wages are up Food service occupations in San Diego County tended to be the lowest paying as of May 2022, while management occupations had the highest hourly wage. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Sep. 2023

Far too many of the Israelis protesting Netanyahu right now have been passive at best in the face of the occupation and have only turned out to protest when their own rights have come under direct threat. —David Klion, The New Republic, 1 Sep. 2023

They had been born during the Japanese occupation and lived through the Korean War; some looked to the past, taking inspiration from Korean folk forms. —Andrew Russeth, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2023

The Allied Military Government places a Brit, Major Ivan Hirst, in charge of the factory, which is put back into service to fulfill an order for 20,000 VWs for the occupation forces. —Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver, 31 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English occupacioun "possession of land, engagement in an activity, vocation, concern," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French occupaciun, borrowed from Latin occupātiōn-, occupātiō "seizing possession, preoccupation," from occupāre "to grasp, take possession of, fill up (space, a position)" + -tiōn- -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at occupy

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

occupation

noun

oc·​cu·​pa·​tion ˌäk-yə-ˈpā-shən 

1

: one's business or profession

2

: the taking possession and control of an area

occupation of a conquered country