preoccupy

verb

pre·​oc·​cu·​py (ˌ)prē-ˈä-kyə-ˌpī How to pronounce preoccupy (audio)
preoccupied; preoccupying; preoccupies
Synonyms of preoccupynext

transitive verb

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
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.
The comedy is so wonderfully weightless as to seem entirely free from the gravitational pull of the history that had preoccupied Wilde’s family, and of a place called Ireland, where the unfortunately unavailable food was not the cucumber but the potato. — Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 Both appear to have been heavily influenced by mass killers of the past and preoccupied with the prospect of adding themselves to such a list. — Odette Yousef, NPR, 8 Mar. 2025 The form of the governments in Russia and China does not preoccupy Trump, whose rejection of nation building and regime change is absolute. — Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025 But something that seems to preoccupy them equally is the challenge of transitional dressing, particularly this time of year, as temperatures begin to rise and fall, and then rise again. — Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for preoccupy

Word History

Etymology

Latin praeoccupare, literally, to seize in advance, from prae- + occupare to seize, occupy

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preoccupy was in 1567

Rhymes for preoccupy

See All Rhymes for preoccupy

Browse Nearby Words

preoccupy
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Cite this Entry

“Preoccupy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preoccupy. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

preoccupy

verb
pre·​oc·​cu·​py (ˈ)prē-ˈäk-yə-ˌpī How to pronounce preoccupy (audio)
1
: to hold the attention of beforehand
2
: to take possession of before another
preoccupation
(ˌ)prē-ˌäk-yə-ˈpā-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on preoccupy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for preoccupy

Nglish: Translation of preoccupy for Spanish Speakers

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