as in obsessions
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 preoccupations
Still, Patino described a canyon between the preoccupations and paths of people like Bezos and Griffin and the people in attendance like himself.
—
Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
The lines between life and art, truth and fiction, get mighty blurry in Trier’s emotionally expansive, extremely wry film, though the family drama itself is just a spine on which to hang any number of other fixations and preoccupations.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
But these names, which signal both over-the-top satire and dramatization of extreme politics, are some of the small nods and Easter Eggs that Anderson includes in his script for One Battle After Another, which distill the preoccupations of novelist Thomas Pynchon.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
In a cheeky aside directed at Sony Pictures Classics co-head Micheal Barker who was at the dinner, Quinn recalled how one of his preoccupations at Samuel Goldwyn had been figuring out what titles their rivals were getting access to.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
New York Film Festival offer a glimpse into the preoccupations guiding our foremost auteurs.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Trier’s preoccupations with a healthy set are also a testament to his directing philosophy.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
And one of Kirk’s preoccupations this year, in public and in private, was holding together the Republican Party on the question of Israel.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Perhaps this is particularly noticeable because the thematic preoccupations of the film are so trite.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
The lines between life and art, truth and fiction, get mighty blurry in Trier’s emotionally expansive, extremely wry film, though the family drama itself is just a spine on which to hang any number of other fixations and preoccupations.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
But these names, which signal both over-the-top satire and dramatization of extreme politics, are some of the small nods and Easter Eggs that Anderson includes in his script for One Battle After Another, which distill the preoccupations of novelist Thomas Pynchon.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
In a cheeky aside directed at Sony Pictures Classics co-head Micheal Barker who was at the dinner, Quinn recalled how one of his preoccupations at Samuel Goldwyn had been figuring out what titles their rivals were getting access to.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
New York Film Festival offer a glimpse into the preoccupations guiding our foremost auteurs.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Trier’s preoccupations with a healthy set are also a testament to his directing philosophy.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 23 Sep. 2025
And one of Kirk’s preoccupations this year, in public and in private, was holding together the Republican Party on the question of Israel.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Perhaps this is particularly noticeable because the thematic preoccupations of the film are so trite.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupations
obsessions
Noun
-
The pie and its chilly drink counterpart mark another playful chapter in Taco Bell’s long-running partnership with Mountain Dew, which has spawned fan obsessions, limited-edition drinks, and now, a dessert designed for peak holiday gatherings.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
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The weight loss industry likely contributes to these twin obsessions, as the global weight loss and diet management market size was worth about $143 billion in 2022, and is projected to soar to roughly $299 billion by 2030.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupations. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
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