OCCUPATIONS Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

occupations

noun

plural of occupation

as in professions

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

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as in occupancies

the act or fact of residing in a place occupation of a condemned building is illegal

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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 occupations California also has enacted higher minimum wages for certain occupations, such as $20 for fast food workers and up to $25 for many healthcare workers. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026 Utah requires individuals in regulated occupations to disclose generative AI use verbally at the start of high-risk interactions, a category that includes legal advice. — Hamid Kohan, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026 In September last year, the administration introduced a $100,000 fee for certain petitions under the H-1B program, which applies to highly skilled workers in specialty occupations. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026 The participants already had foot pain and worked in weight-bearing occupations, making the results difficult to extend to people without foot pain or to men. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026 Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said the right to protest must be respected as long as demonstrations remain lawful, while condemning violence, looting and occupations. — Amanda MacIas, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026 Which occupations lose their very purpose when the human element is removed? — Scott Levenson, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026 Also a list of the true names and addresses of all former slaves, along with their actual occupations and 1858 yearly incomes, which, surprising no one, were right on par with the incomes of similar whites. — George Saunders, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026 Roughly 40% of workers in healthcare support, food service, farming, fishing, forestry, construction and repair occupations hold NDCs. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupations

Noun

Baharoon said the rise of AI could produce an economic transformation comparable to previous industrial revolutions, creating new industries and opportunities even as existing professions are disrupted.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Last month, the CGT claimed there had been a big increase in the number of professions paying some employees less than the minimum wage.

— Soph Warnes, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of professions

Noun

Some types of universities are seeing much higher occupancies and lagging construction, while others are overbuilt with falling demand.

— Diana Olick, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
But today a quick accounting shows the Plaza’s occupancies are slightly better than holding steady, with 28% of its 151 storefronts unoccupied.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of occupancies

Noun

Yet despite their focusing on similar topics and themes, the three books have very distinct framing and approaches, reflected by the vocations and writing styles of the three authors.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2026
Businesspeople have visited schools to help students explore other routes, including community college and vocations such as HVAC technicians.

— Claire Harutunian, Charlotte Observer, 26 June 2026

Definition of vocations

Noun

Wild elephants often stray into human habitations this time of year, when rice fields are ready for harvesting.

— CBS News, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2025
Such defensive settlements became the norm in areas vulnerable to slave-raiding, with individual houses and collective habitations undergoing significant transformations.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025

Definition of habitations

Noun

As a result, the administration approved only 139 Cuban Adjustment Act residencies between April and June 2026, compared with almost 50,000 in the same period in 2024, according to government records.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026
The brand’s efforts include the By Art Matters museum, which opened in 2021, as well as ongoing artist residencies and editorial collaborations with artists.

— Denni Hu, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of residencies

Noun

But that was it for the night as the Crusaders took charge, finding the end zone on each of their five second-quarter possessions to lead 42-7 at the half.

— Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
Expect both teams to lean on the ground game and keep possessions long.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of possessions

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occupation

occupations

occupied

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“Occupations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupations. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of occupations

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