preoccupation
pronunciation
How to pronounce preoccupation in British English:
UK [priˌɒkjuˈpeɪʃn]
How to pronounce preoccupation in American English:
US [priˌɑkjuˈpeɪʃn]
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- Noun:
- an idea that preoccupies the mind and holds the attention
- the mental state of being preoccupied by something
- the act of taking occupancy before someone else does
Word Origin
- preoccupation (n.)
- 1550s, "state of occupying beforehand," from Latin praeoccupationem (nominative praeoccupatio) "a seizing beforehand, anticipation," noun of action from past participle stem of praeoccupare, from prae- "before" (see pre-) + occupare "seize" (see occupy). Meaning "mental absorption" is from 1854. Earlier its secondary sense was "bias, prejudice" (c. 1600).
Example
- 1. One early preoccupation was finding a new home .
- 2. Today , the middle east has replaced the cold war as america 's primary foreign-policy preoccupation .
- 3. For china 's strategic planners , securing sea lanes against hostile powers has become perhaps the chief preoccupation .
- 4. This government is quietly moving from trying to revive regions ( labour 's preoccupation ) to boosting cities and their hinterlands .
- 5. Ensuring flows of the natural resources required to feed china 's industrial-development machine has become a major preoccupation for the government .