occupational

adjective

oc·​cu·​pa·​tion·​al ˌä-kyə-ˈpā-sh(ə-)nəl 

1

: of or relating to a job or occupation

occupational choices

occupational training/skills

occupational safety

Physiatrists commonly treat back and neck pain and other musculoskeletal problems, including sports injuries and occupational problems like repetitive stress injury.

—C. Claiborne Ray

2

: relating to or engaged in the military occupation of a country

served as part of an occupational force

occupational troops

occupationally adverb

Examples of occupational in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The legislation passed by French lawmakers Tuesday allows the French food, environmental and occupational health agency to exceptionally authorize the use of acetamiprid and flupyradifurone for a few struggling agricultural sectors. — ABC News, 22 July 2026

Many women entrepreneurs cluster in low-revenue service sectors, mirroring occupational segregation. — Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

By Sarah Bence, OTR/L Bence is an occupational therapist with a range of work experience in mental healthcare settings. — Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 13 July 2026

But Jorgensen, 25, worked for years to get to this point, including long hours spent with physical and occupational therapists throughout her youth to address issues with her muscle tone and balance. — Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

occupation + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1766, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing occupational

• occupational hazard
• occupational therapy

Rhymes for occupational

• aspirational
• avocational
• calculational
• combinational
• computational
• conformational
• confrontational
• congregational
• conversational
• correlational
• deformational
• derivational

Kids Definition

occupational

adjective

oc·​cu·​pa·​tion·​al

ˌäk-yə-ˈpā-shnəl, 

-shən-ᵊl

: of or relating to one's occupation

a report on occupational health and safety

occupationally

-ē

adverb

Medical Definition

occupational

adjective

oc·​cu·​pa·​tion·​al ˌäk-yə-ˈpā-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl 

: relating to or being an occupational disease

occupational asthma

occupationally

-ē 

adverb