# occupy

Pronunciation: US say "OK-yuh-py" /ˈɑkjəpaɪ/; UK say "OK-yuu-py" /ˈɒkjʊpaɪ/

## Verb

1. To take up or fill a given amount of space.
   - Simple: To take up a certain amount of space.
   - _The new sofa occupies nearly the entire wall._
   - _Storage crates occupy the back third of the warehouse._
2. To live in or inhabit a building or dwelling.
   - Simple: To live in a house, room, or other place.
   - _The same family has occupied that farmhouse for generations._
   - _Several students occupy the rooms on the top floor._
3. To hold or take possession and control of a territory, especially by military force.
   - Simple: To take and keep control of land using military force.
   - _The army occupied the capital within days of the invasion._
   - _Foreign forces occupy the disputed islands to this day._
4. To take up and hold someone's attention or thoughts.
   - Simple: To take up someone's attention or thoughts.
   - _The mystery novel occupied her completely until dawn._
   - _Worries about money occupy his thoughts at night._
5. To hold or fill an official position or role.
   - Simple: To hold an official job or position.
   - _He has occupied the post of treasurer for a decade._
   - _Several judges occupy the bench during major hearings._
6. To take up the time or capacity of someone; to keep someone engaged.
   - Simple: To take up someone's time or keep them busy.
   - _Preparing the report occupied the whole team for a week._
   - _Endless errands occupy his days after retirement._
7. To fill or take up the whole of something.
   - Simple: To fill something completely.
   - _Appointments occupied the whole of her afternoon._
   - _Backup files occupy the rest of the disk space._
8. To set up a theodolite or total station at a given survey point.
   - Simple: To set up a surveying instrument at a marked point.
   - _The technician occupied the control point before sighting the targets._
   - _Survey teams occupy benchmarks across the site to establish coordinates._

## Verb

9. To have sexual intercourse with someone. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To have sex with someone.
10. To do business in something, or to busy oneself with a task or trade. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To do business in a place, or to keep busy with a task.
11. To use something; to expend or make use of it. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To use something, or to spend or use it up.

## Origin

This word comes from Middle English occupien, borrowed from Old French occuper, from Latin occupāre ("to take possession of, seize, take up, employ"). The Latin verb combines ob ("to, on") with capiō ("to take"), tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *keh₂p- ("to seize, grab").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/occupy (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).