# occupied

/ˈɑkjəˌpaɪd/ (US) · /ˈɒkjʊpˌaɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/occupied
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. busy

adjective · CEFR B1

busy doing something or having your mind full of thoughts.

For teachers: engaged in an activity or preoccupied with specific thoughts.

- She was so occupied with her book that she didn't hear me enter.
- The CEO remained occupied with the merger negotiations for most of the quarter, leaving little time for routine administrative tasks.

### 2. in use

adjective · CEFR B1

being used by someone, such as a seat, a room, or a toilet.

For teachers: currently in use or inhabited; unavailable for others.

- I'm sorry, but this seat is already occupied.
- The sign on the restroom door flipped to 'occupied', indicating that the facility was currently in use by another passenger.

### 3. under military control

adjective · CEFR B2

controlled by a foreign army or government.

For teachers: referring to a territory or country held and controlled by a foreign military force.

- Life in the occupied city was very difficult for the local people.
- The resistance movement operated in secret throughout the occupied territories, attempting to disrupt the enemy's supply lines.

## Examples

- I am sorry, but this seat is already occupied.
- The manager was too occupied with the budget crisis to attend the weekly team meeting.
- While the ground floor remained vacant for months, the upper apartments were fully occupied by students who appreciated the building's proximity to the university library.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.