preoccupy

Preoccupy is a transitive verb with two primary senses in English. The most common meaning is to occupy or fill someone’s mind or attention with thoughts, concerns, or interests, often to the point that other matters are neglected. For example, “The upcoming exam preoccupies her thoughts.” In this sense, preoccupying implies a degree of persistence or urgency that makes it hard to focus elsewhere. A related adjective is preoccupied, used to describe someone who is deeply absorbed by a particular thought or concern.

A secondary, more historical sense of preoccupy is to occupy in advance or beforehand. This use is rarer in modern everyday language and is often replaced by phrases like preoccupy oneself with or preoccupy resources or time. In such cases, the idea is to seize or allocate attention or effort ahead of other tasks, though the sense is now largely literary or formal.

Etymology: preoccupy comes from Latin praeoccupare, formed from prae- meaning before and occupare meaning to seize or occupy. The term entered English in the early modern period and has since developed into its current common meaning related to mental focus and concern.

Usage notes: Preoccupy is typically followed by the object mind, thoughts, attention, or with followed by a noun describing the concern (e.g., “preoccupied with financial worries”). The word often conveys a negative or burdensome focus, though it can be neutral when describing a necessary or ongoing concern.

See also: preoccupation, preoccupied.