preoccupation

noun

pre·​oc·​cu·​pa·​tion (ˌ)prē-ˌä-kyə-ˈpā-shən 

1

: an act of preoccupying : the state of being preoccupied

2

a

: extreme or excessive concern with something

b

: something that preoccupies one

Synonyms

• fetish
• fetich
• fixation
• idée fixe
• mania
• obsession
• prepossession

Examples of preoccupation in a Sentence

We need to better understand the problems and preoccupations of our clients.

the future entomologist's preoccupation with insects from a very early age

Recent Examples on the Web

Cultural preoccupations have shaped the realm of mathematical possibilities. —Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

But this preoccupation may have been a way to offset the general malaise that plagued her. —Elizabeth Djinis, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Apr. 2025

Many of the writer-director’s fantastical movies have been inspired by watching his own kids interact and his ongoing preoccupation with family dynamics, including 2015’s The Boy and the Beast and 2012’s Wolf Children. —Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2025

The central concern of On the Clock is narrower than the preoccupations of its French predecessors. —Rhian Sasseen, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1572, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing preoccupation

• self-preoccupation

Rhymes for preoccupation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration