English Meaning & Definitions
To dominate or engross the mind of someone to the exclusion of other thoughts.
- “The impending deadline began to preoccupy his thoughts throughout the weekend.”
- “She was so preoccupied with her own problems that she didn't notice her friend's distress.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “preoccupy”.
Derived from the Latin 'praeoccupare', formed by the prefix 'prae-' (before) and 'occupare' (to seize or occupy). It originally meant to take possession of something before another, but evolved in the 16th century to describe the mental state of being seized by a thought or concern in advance.
Think of 'pre' (before) + 'occupy' (take space). Your mind is 'occupied' by a thought 'before' you can focus on anything else.
Frequently Asked Questions About “preoccupy”
1. What is the meaning of “preoccupy” in English?
In English, preoccupy (verb) is defined as: “To dominate or engross the mind of someone to the exclusion of other thoughts.”.
2. How do you use “preoccupy” in a sentence?
“The impending deadline began to preoccupy his thoughts throughout the weekend.”
3. What are English synonyms of “preoccupy”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “preoccupy”?
Derived from the Latin 'praeoccupare', formed by the prefix 'prae-' (before) and 'occupare' (to seize or occupy). It originally meant to take possession of something before another, but evolved in the 16th century to describe the mental state of being seized by a thought or concern in advance.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.