occupation
/ɒkjʊˈpeɪʃ(ə)n
/noun
1A job or profession: people in professional occupations...
- Due to his father's occupation, he grew up knowing about military matters.
- In addition, we excluded 180 boys without information on fathers' occupation.
- Mine was frequently decorated in accordance with my father's occupation.
Synonyms
job, day job, profession, work, line of work, line of business, trade, employment, position, post, situation, business, career, métier, vocation, calling, craft, skill, field, province, walk of life;
Scottish way
informal racket, game
Australian informal grip
archaic employ
1.1A way of spending time: a game of cards is a pretty harmless occupation...
- We are making every effort to try and soften the edges of these draconian rules but brick walls and head butting are pretty joyless occupations.
- During the monsoon season the villagers divert their occupation to fishing and agriculture.
- Its main occupations are fishing and boatbuilding.
Synonyms
pastime, activity, leisure activity, hobby, pursuit, interest, entertainment, recreation, diversion, amusement, divertissement
archaic resource
2 [mass noun] The action, state, or period of occupying or being occupied by military force: the Roman occupation of Britain...
- But the alternative to negotiating with him is continued military occupation of the territories in force.
- The American military occupation of Japan lasted from August 1945 through April 1952.
- The next stage of this process is the permanent military occupation of ‘buffer zones’ on the West Bank.
2.1The action of entering and taking control of a building: the workers remained in occupation until 16 October...
- The mainly Muslim workers have been in occupation since the closure was announced.
- Another 20 workers remain in occupation of a nearby M & S branch.
- As hundreds of Gama workers continued their 10-day occupation of Dublin building sites last night, the company again denied all allegations against it.
Synonyms
conquest, capture, invasion, seizure, takeover, annexation, overrunning, subjugation, subjection, appropriation;
colonization, possession, rule, control, suzerainty
3 [mass noun] The action of living in or using a building or other place: a property suitable for occupation by older people...
- Many families living in the borough are in need of more suitable homes and unlawful occupation is stopping them from moving.
- One is a tax on property occupation, the other a supplementary tax on travel.
- Several of the old concrete ramps between floors were removed and the floors were filled in to create additional space suitable for occupation.
Synonyms
residence, residency, habitation, inhabitation, occupancy, tenancy, tenure, lease, living in;
possession, use;
incumbency, holding
formal dwelling
rare inhabitancy, habitancy, inhabitance, domiciliation
adjective British
For the sole use of the occupiers of the land concerned: an occupation bridge...
- Under the provisions of the Family Law Act, section 36, he had no jurisdiction to make an occupation order.
- The Law Commission's proposals for occupation orders were originally regarded as uncontroversial and non-party political.
- The claim for occupation rent has been codified in the Family Law Act.
Origin
Middle English: via Old French from Latin occupatio(n-), from the verb occupare (see occupy). sense 2 of the noun dates from the mid 16th century.