as in obsession
something about which one is constantly thinking or concerned
the future entomologist's preoccupation with insects from a very early age
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Recent Examples of preoccupation
The preoccupation with polarization is one of those fairness cons derived from media virtue-signaling.
—
Armond White, National Review, 27 June 2025
These gothic elements enhance the book’s central preoccupations of trust, fidelity, and the difficulty of fully knowing another person—or oneself.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
In the plural and the choral, Wildcat Dome finds the appropriate form for its preoccupation with collective guilt, the sort that cannot be contained by a single being.
—Katie Kitamura, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
This emphasis on women’s bodies and behaviors is especially conspicuous amid a broader cultural preoccupation with male virility.
—Lucy Tu, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupation
Armond White, National Review, 27 June 2025
These gothic elements enhance the book’s central preoccupations of trust, fidelity, and the difficulty of fully knowing another person—or oneself.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
In the plural and the choral, Wildcat Dome finds the appropriate form for its preoccupation with collective guilt, the sort that cannot be contained by a single being.
—Katie Kitamura, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
This emphasis on women’s bodies and behaviors is especially conspicuous amid a broader cultural preoccupation with male virility.
—Lucy Tu, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupation
obsession
Noun
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In the original video, Rupert Grint (yes, Ron Weasley from Harry Potter) played a Sheeran superfan with a serious, unhealthy obsession — sneaking onstage during a show, hopping into Sheeran’s tour bus, and even chewing his gum.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
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Unlike millennials, who grew up on 1990s diet culture and calorie obsession, Gen Z views food through a wellness lens, focusing on long-term benefits, mental health, and natural ingredients.—
Heather Hunter,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupation. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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