preoccupy

verb

pre·​oc·​cu·​py (ˌ)prē-ˈä-kyə-ˌpī 

preoccupied; preoccupying; preoccupies

transitive verb

1

: to engage or engross the interest or attention of beforehand or preferentially

2

: to take possession of or fill beforehand or before another

Examples of preoccupy in a Sentence

The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Below, Nico O’Reilly is on the goal line at the far post, away from the eye line of the opposition defenders, who are preoccupied with his team-mates. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Hassan, the senator from New Hampshire, is preoccupied not with how many candidates can do well in one state, but, rather, which candidate will do well in every state. — Jesús Rodríguez, New Yorker, 10 July 2026

Here’s what Cashman had to say about those position groups while reminding folks that major league front offices have been preoccupied with this weekend’s amateur draft. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026

When Islamist fighters swept south toward Damascus in December 2024, neither Russia, which was preoccupied by Ukraine, nor Iran, whose Hezbollah allies had been badly weakened, could prevent the Assad regime’s sudden collapse. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 9 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin praeoccupare, literally, to seize in advance, from prae- + occupare to seize, occupy

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for preoccupy

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi

Kids Definition

preoccupy

verb

pre·​oc·​cu·​py (ˈ)prē-ˈäk-yə-ˌpī 

1

: to hold the attention of beforehand

2

: to take possession of before another

preoccupation

(ˌ)prē-ˌäk-yə-ˈpā-shən

noun