preoccupy
verb
pre·oc·cu·py
(ˌ)prē-ˈä-kyə-ˌpī 
preoccupied; preoccupying; preoccupies
1
: to engage or engross the interest or attention of beforehand or preferentially
2
: to take possession of or fill beforehand or before another
Examples of preoccupy in a Sentence
The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers.
Recent Examples on the Web
When soldiers began having to deal with multiple directives over the wire, attention science became preoccupied with simultaneous inputs.
—
Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
These would have been necessary for the local community, which was largely preoccupied with grape-growing and wine-making.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
Mending fences with Europe, Mr. Lammy said, is necessary regardless of whether Mr. Biden or Mr. Trump wins in November because the United States is increasingly preoccupied by its rivalry with China.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Former Mayor Williams says many children are bitten by rats, and the problem is worse where residents live in substandard housing and are preoccupied with more pressing challenges than trash containment.
—Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
The Philippine military was preoccupied in recent decades with domestic insurgencies.
—Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
The result is a program full of girls overly preoccupied with how to present themselves as potential leaders while still figuring out what feminine strength really looks like.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
The kids of residents described looking out after themselves because their parents were preoccupied with the Synanon game.
—Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024
The research results will be used to develop future directions and innovations for the company, going far beyond the styles and designs that preoccupy other furniture companies.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024
These would have been necessary for the local community, which was largely preoccupied with grape-growing and wine-making.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024
Mending fences with Europe, Mr. Lammy said, is necessary regardless of whether Mr. Biden or Mr. Trump wins in November because the United States is increasingly preoccupied by its rivalry with China.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Former Mayor Williams says many children are bitten by rats, and the problem is worse where residents live in substandard housing and are preoccupied with more pressing challenges than trash containment.
—Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
The Philippine military was preoccupied in recent decades with domestic insurgencies.
—Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
The result is a program full of girls overly preoccupied with how to present themselves as potential leaders while still figuring out what feminine strength really looks like.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
The kids of residents described looking out after themselves because their parents were preoccupied with the Synanon game.
—Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024
The research results will be used to develop future directions and innovations for the company, going far beyond the styles and designs that preoccupy other furniture companies.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preoccupy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near preoccupy
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preoccupy. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
preoccupy
verb
pre·oc·cu·py
(ˈ)prē-ˈäk-yə-ˌpī
1
: to hold the attention of beforehand
2
: to take possession of before another
preoccupation
noun
(ˌ)prē-ˌäk-yə-ˈpā-shən
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