occupied

[ˈɑkjəpaɪd]

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An occupied space or place is one that has people or things in it. This can mean an office building with employees working there.

When we talk about something being occupied, usually we're referring to a place like a house, apartment, office, or even a country where people are living and working. For example, if someone says their home is occupied by relatives for the summer, they mean that family members have moved in to stay for a while. In politics, an occupied territory might be one that's controlled by another country's government. If you're planning a move, it's also common to say a house is occupied until it sells and someone new moves in.

How common is "occupied"?

Word occupied is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

adjective

Reserved, engaged.
Example: The stall on the left is occupied.
Busy, unavailable.
Example: She is occupied at the moment.
Subjugated, under the control of a foreign military presence.
Example: My father travelled to occupied Japan in December 1945.

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verb

(of time) To take or use.
To take or use space.
To have sexual intercourse with.
To do business in; to busy oneself with.
To use; to expend; to make use of.

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coitizego to bed withsleep withbusyemploy

Real examples of "occupied" in context

Black Hole Star – The Star That Shouldn't Exist

Entertainment

they were occupied by a cosmic parasite, an endlessly hungry black hole. How is that even possible?

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