okupierte

Okupierte is a German adjective meaning “occupied.” It derives from the verb okupieren (to occupy) and functions as the past participle used in attributive or predicative constructions. In ordinary usage it describes territory, places, or populations that are under the control of a foreign military or ruling power.

In usage, okkupiert contrasts with related terms such as besetzt (occupied in a legal or administrative sense) and besatzung (occupation or occupying force). The form okkupiert can appear in phrases like das okkupierte Gebiet (the occupied territory) or der okkupierte Staat (the occupied state). The noun form die Okupierten is possible but less common and can carry specific historical or political connotations depending on context.

Etymologically, okkupieren is a loanword from Latin occupare, via Old French occuper, adapted into German with the usual phonetic change to the k-sound. The term is widely used in historical writing, journalism, and legal or political discourse to indicate that a region or population is under the authority of an occupying power. In modern German, more neutral or everyday phrasing for contemporary contexts often favors besetzt or Besatzung, while okkupiert remains common in historical references to past occupations and in formal or technical texts.

See also: Besatzung, Besatzungszone, Besetzungsrecht, Okupation, Occupation (English).