Synonyms of occupation

occupation

noun

ˌä-kyə-ˈpā-shən 

1

as in profession

the activity by which one regularly makes a living

my primary occupation is stockbroker, but I'm a drummer in a rock band on the weekends

Synonyms & Similar Words

• profession
• vocation
• employment
• work
• line
• calling
• trade
• job
• game
• duty
• livelihood
• living
• business
• mission
• task
• position
• lay
• assignment
• enterprise
• art
• place
• engagement
• office
• field
• situation
• lifework
• call
• racket
• function
• métier
• gig
• craft
• handicraft
• appointment
• workload
• post
• load
• handcraft
• billet
• berth

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pursuit
• hobby
• avocation

2

as in occupancy

the act or fact of residing in a place

occupation of a condemned building is illegal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• occupancy
• habitation
• residency
• possession
• ownership
• tenancy
• proprietorship
• tenantry
• trespass

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ejection
• ejectment
• dispossession
• vacancy
• vacation
• vacating

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

Recent Examples of occupation

In response to the city clearing out the Cedar Avenue occupation, the activist organizations behind the blockades complained on social media about MPD officers dismantling three different roadblocks. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 4 Feb. 2026

By the end of the three-year Nazi occupation of Vilna, out of 100,000 Jewish residents only 2,000 were left alive. —Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026

But even after America’s formal occupation, its interference continued. —Ruth Jean-Marie, Time, 3 Feb. 2026

Tangestuen said the hat emerged sometime around the last large demonstration protesting Nazi occupation in September 1941. —Ava Berger, NPR, 31 Jan. 2026