What does occupy mean in English?

You can learn occupy Pronunciation, Grammar & Synonyms in this most authoritative English Dictionary.

occupy Meaning, Definition, Pronunciation, Grammar & Synonyms❤️

0 to fill, exist in, or use a place or period of time:
- The rest of the time was occupied with writing a report.
- The house hasn't been occupied (= lived in) by anyone for a few months.
- formal A large picture of the battle of Waterloo occupied the space above the fireplace.
- On long journeys I occupy myself with solving maths puzzles.
1 (of an army or group of people) to move into and take control and/or possession of a place:
- Troops quickly occupied the city.
- Protesting students occupied the university office for two weeks.
- the occupying forces
2 (of an army or group of people) to move into and take control or possession of a place:
- Nationalist forces now occupy more than 70% of the country.
3 to fill, use, or exist in a place or a time:
- A large couch occupies most of the space in the living room.
4 to fill or use a place:
- The new plant will occupy a 185-acre site.
5 to fill a period of time:
- Since he retired, he has struggled to occupy his time.
6 to have a particular job:
- An increasing number of women occupy senior positions on Wall Street.
7 to take control of a place and refuse to leave it:
- Workers occupied the factory eight days ago.

The programme will occupy that half-hour slot before the nine o'clock news.
All physical objects occupy space.
Historically, issues of this kind have not occupied the foreground of political debate.
He occupies a prominent position in the rogues' gallery of the financial world.
The house occupies a commanding position at the top of the valley.
In occupying and exploiting the mysterious space of the sacred in our contemporary 'secular' world, the nation revitalises the profane.
The songs characteristically sing of deceased men as having occupied a series of places that are now being reclaimed by the anonymity of the forest.
We have until recently been one-dimensionally occupied with older people as targets of politics rather than as actual or potential actors.