— occupationless , adj. — occupative , adj.
/ok'yeuh pay"sheuhn/ , n.
1. a person's usual or principal work or business, esp. as a means of earning a living; vocation: Her occupation was dentistry.
2. any activity in which a person is engaged.
3. possession, settlement, or use of land or property.
4. the act of occupying.
5. the state of being occupied.
6. the seizure and control of an area by military forces, esp. foreign territory.
7. the term of control of a territory by foreign military forces: Danish resistance during the German occupation.
8. tenure or the holding of an office or official function: during his occupation of the vice presidency.
[ 1250-1300; ME occupacioun occupation occupation- (s. of occupatio ), equiv. to occupat ( us ) (ptp. of occupare; see OCCUPY) + -ion- -ION ]
Syn. 1. employment, pursuit, craft, métier. OCCUPATION, BUSINESS, PROFESSION, TRADE refer to the activity to which one regularly devotes oneself, esp. one's regular work, or means of getting a living. OCCUPATION is the general word: a pleasant or congenial occupation. BUSINESS esp. suggests a commercial or mercantile occupation: the printing business. PROFESSION implies an occupation requiring special knowledge and training in some field of science or learning: the profession of teaching. TRADE suggests an occupation involving manual training and skill: one of the building trades. 3. occupancy.