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REFERENCE

occupation

n.
US //ˌɑkjəˈpeɪʃən// UK //ˌɒkjʊpˈeɪʃən// oc·cu·pa·tion
  1. 1 a job (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Formal

    the job or profession that you do to earn money.

    a person's regular work or profession; the primary activity by which one earns a living.

    Example

    Please state your name, age, and occupation on the application form.

    Example

    The census required every head of household to provide a detailed description of their primary occupation and any secondary sources of income.
    Pitfall
    What is your occupation?
    What do you do for a living?

    'Occupation' is common on official forms, but in casual conversation, people usually ask 'What do you do?' instead.

  2. 2 military control (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    a situation where an army moves into and takes control of another country.

    the action of a military force taking control of a foreign territory or the period during which this control is maintained.

    Example

    The city remained under military occupation for several years after the war.

    Example

    International law dictates specific responsibilities for a governing power during a period of hostile military occupation to protect the civilian population.
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  1. 3 using a space (n.)
    C1 Advanced Formal Technical

    the act of living in or using a building or a piece of land.

    the act of entering into and taking possession of a property or location.

    Example

    The new office building is finally ready for occupation by the staff.

    Example

    The certificate of occupancy was delayed because the building failed to meet the latest fire safety standards for commercial occupation.
  2. 4 a hobby (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Literary

    an activity that you spend time doing, like a hobby.

    an activity or pastime that keeps a person busy or engaged.

    Example

    Reading and gardening were her favourite occupations during the long summer.

    Example

    In his retirement, he found that woodcarving was a pleasant occupation that kept his mind sharp and his hands busy.
Origin

From Middle English occupacioun, borrowed from Middle French occupacion, occupation, from Latin occupātiō, occupātiōnis, from occupō (“occupy, seize”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to seize, grab”). By surface analysis, occupy + -ation.

Word family

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