preoccupy

[ pree-ok-yuh-pahy ]
See synonyms for: preoccupypreoccupiedpreoccupying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),pre·oc·cu·pied, pre·oc·cu·py·ing.
  1. to absorb or engross to the exclusion of other things.

  2. to occupy beforehand or before others.

Origin of preoccupy

1
First recorded in 1560–70; pre- + occupy

Other words from preoccupy

  • pre·oc·cu·pi·er, noun
  • o·ver·pre·oc·cu·py, verb (used with object), o·ver·pre·oc·cu·pied, o·ver·pre·oc·cu·py·ing.

Words Nearby preoccupy

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How to use preoccupy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for preoccupy

preoccupy

/ (priːˈɒkjʊˌpaɪ) /


verb-pies, -pying or -pied (tr)
  1. to engross the thoughts or mind of

  2. to occupy before or in advance of another

Origin of preoccupy

1
C16: from Latin praeoccupāre to capture in advance, from prae before + occupāre to seize, take possession of

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012