preoccupation
noun
pre·oc·cu·pa·tion
(ˌ)prē-ˌä-kyə-ˈpā-shən 
1
: an act of preoccupying : the state of being preoccupied
2
a
: extreme or excessive concern with something
a preoccupation with money
b
: something that preoccupies one
We need to better understand the problems and preoccupations of our clients.
Examples of preoccupation in a Sentence
We need to better understand the problems and preoccupations of our clients.
the future entomologist's preoccupation with insects from a very early age
Recent Examples on the Web
My career translating German-language literature grew out of a lifelong preoccupation with languages, literatures, and cultures beyond my own.
—
Ross Benjamin, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
As much work as the play does early on to explain Jackie's preoccupation with wealth, the character still feels underdrawn, never really delving into her failures as a mother beyond trying to get her daughter to lose weight.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
Still, Patino described a canyon between the preoccupations and paths of people like Bezos and Griffin and the people in attendance like himself.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
The lines between life and art, truth and fiction, get mighty blurry in Trier’s emotionally expansive, extremely wry film, though the family drama itself is just a spine on which to hang any number of other fixations and preoccupations.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupation
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Ross Benjamin, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
As much work as the play does early on to explain Jackie's preoccupation with wealth, the character still feels underdrawn, never really delving into her failures as a mother beyond trying to get her daughter to lose weight.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025
Still, Patino described a canyon between the preoccupations and paths of people like Bezos and Griffin and the people in attendance like himself.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
The lines between life and art, truth and fiction, get mighty blurry in Trier’s emotionally expansive, extremely wry film, though the family drama itself is just a spine on which to hang any number of other fixations and preoccupations.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupation
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preoccupation. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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