Synonym Chooser

How does the noun occupation differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of occupation are business, calling, employment, métier, pursuit, and work. While all these words mean "a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living," occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training.

his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

In what contexts can business take the place of occupation?

While in some cases nearly identical to occupation, business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs.

the business of managing a hotel

When can calling be used instead of occupation?

The words calling and occupation can be used in similar contexts, but calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession.

the ministry seemed my true calling

When might employment be a better fit than occupation?

While the synonyms employment and occupation are close in meaning, employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.

your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

When is it sensible to use métier instead of occupation?

The words métier and occupation are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted.

acting was my one and only métier

Where would pursuit be a reasonable alternative to occupation?

The synonyms pursuit and occupation are sometimes interchangeable, but pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest.

her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

When would work be a good substitute for occupation?

Although the words work and occupation have much in common, work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not.

her work as a hospital volunteer

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of occupation Having said that, Iran welcomes any initiative that ends Israel's Genocide in Gaza and ensures the expulsion of occupation forces. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025 Although every workers’ comp claim is unique and every state’s workers’ comp has different payout and eligibility levels, California is considered a relatively favorable state for NFL players seeking compensation for injuries that occurred through their occupation. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2025 Among the nearly 70 occupations that qualify are restaurant servers, gig workers, barbers, cosmetologists and golf caddies. Levi Sumagaysay, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025 The demonstrators wound up initiating a weeklong occupation of a Bureau of Indian Affairs building, with some violent episodes. Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for occupation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupation
Noun
  • Earlier this year, the Washington Post reported that computer-programmer employment dropped to its lowest level since the 1980s—one profession that has been hit hardest over the past few years.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The problem of teacher vacancies at MPS — a nationwide issue as fewer graduates enter the profession — has been pervasive and troublesome.
    Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Downtown foot traffic is up, new restaurants are opening, and office occupancy is rising.
    Tom Chavez, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The median occupancy rate among the 12 California markets tracked was 95% in the second quarter.
    Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And for the drivers themselves, carting cargo on America’s highways has been an engine of class mobility—a flexible vocation offering decent pay without the prerequisite of a college education or the daunting prospect of an office-based 9-to-5.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
  • My vocation as a writer and editor and my avocation as a gardener and composter go hand in hand.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • This larger outpost would be a stepping stone toward artificial gravity and long-term habitation.
    Andrew Jones, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The site lies along ancient trade routes and shows evidence of habitation dating back thousands of years, the same source said.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Billy Baker Baker was a departments manager at AES and worked there for nearly two decades, beginning his employment in June 2006, according to The Tennessean.
    Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • In recent comments, Powell has stressed risks to both sides of the Fed’s dual goals of full employment and low inflation.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Residents must show their driver's license or a utility bill to prove their residency before receiving trees.
    NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The rock icon — who turned 78 on Monday — recently came off a major tour, has an upcoming residency in Las Vegas and just released a new live album.
    Brie Stimson , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The researchers noted that torsional loading is not as strongly associated with injury risk as vertical loading, but future work may explore whether improved stroller design or posture cues could mitigate those twisting forces.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The San Jose region’s faster bounce-back may be attributable in part to an easier commute to work than in San Francisco and the East Bay, and tech campuses with free parking, making in-office work more appealing, the Bay Area Council’s Saisz said.
    Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Occupation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupation. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on occupation

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