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

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

Research on how rage specifically affects women’s careers is thin, partly because research on women’s occupational health during midlife is thin across the board, and partly because rage so infrequently has been studied on its own. — Dr. Sarah Berg, Time, 9 July 2026

Bence is an occupational therapist with a range of work experience in mental healthcare settings. — Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 7 July 2026

Her integrated pediatric therapy practice offers speech, occupational, and physical therapy under one roof, drastically cutting intake from months to weeks. — Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 7 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