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

On the night of my arrival, DeMarco became briefly preoccupied by a wobbly deck chair. —Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2025

Both teams have been preoccupied with their commitments in the Leagues Cup and will return to MLS matters, facing very different prospects for the upcoming season. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025

Sacramento is poised to preoccupy itself with cannabis regardless. —Tom Philp, Mercury News, 15 July 2025

Tech billionaires are becoming increasingly preoccupied with two visions of the future: techno-utopia on the one hand, and human extinction at the hand of machines on the other. —Erika Page, Christian Science Monitor, 16 June 2025

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

• acidify
• alveoli
• areolae
• demystify
• detoxify
• disqualify
• diversify
• electrify
• exemplify
• fasciculi
• identify
• indemnify

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