1Reside or have one's place of business in (a building)

她在汉普斯特德所居住的租来的公寓。

1. 1.1 Fill or take up (a space or time)
   占据（空间，时间）
   two long windows occupied almost the whole of the end wall

   两扇长玻璃窗几乎占据了全部末端墙面。

   Example sentencesExamples

   • ‘Ashes and Snow’ was the first solo exhibit ever to occupy the entire space.
   • The machine occupied a whole room, filling it with a tangle of piano wires and pulleys to move its various wheels and gears.
   • He could not occupy the drawer space because it was filled with the props.
   • The purpose is to fill the space occupied by the standard recoil spring guide and also provide a bit of a cushion for the slide.
   • Spain occupies about 85 percent of the Iberian peninsula, with Portugal on its western border.
   • Every parking space was occupied and the line of voters extended from the gymnasium out into the lobby.
   • Her mind drifted towards the girl who had occupied the seat next to hers.
   • The 2,833 lakes in Lithuania occupy about 1.5 percent of the surface area of the nation.
   • School was just something to fill the time, to occupy the space between Tommy and sleep.
   • Water vapor takes up space otherwise occupied by oxygen molecules.
   • The spaces that weren't occupied by ships were filled with lasers in missiles.
   • Then he placed her down on the chair she had occupied earlier.
   • The bed which Peter now occupied once belonged to another girl.
   • According to one rabbinic text, a scholar suggests that David will occupy a throne next to God.
   • The congregation had to negotiate dangerous steep stairs and fill the space not occupied by a spinning wheel and furniture.
   • Though I'm a big fan of Nick, it's good to see somebody else occupying the space as well.
   • Where exposed the umbilicus occupies one-third of basal diameter.
   • These are hollow casts that partially fill the space once occupied by the original crystals of anhydrite.
   • Owner Larry Hyatt estimates ammunition occupies about 15 percent of the shop's space.
   • Fluid fills the space normally occupied by air in the middle ear.

   Synonyms

   in use, full, engaged, taken, unavailable

   take up, fill, fill up, cover, extend over, use up, utilize
2. 1.2 Be situated in or at (a position in a system or hierarchy)
   居（某种地位）
   the Bank of England occupies a central position in the UK financial system

   英格兰银行在英国金融系统中处于中心地位。

   Example sentencesExamples

   • China occupies a central position in Japan's Asian diplomacy, and the Taiwan issue is key to Japanese diplomacy toward China.
   • As teachers we occupy positions in relation to specific knowledges which are necessarily different.
   • Aryabhata occupies a central position in the evolution of knowledge.
   • The story of how middle-class women came to occupy this central position in dance is a complex one, but told often in the literature.
   • The right to property was central to our founding; it occupied a vital place in the system of free government the founders built.
   • Throughout his career, Kennedy has worked to de-mystify painting, as well as the hierarchical system it occupies.
   • Spike slips down within the masculine hierarchy to occupy a significantly marginalized position.
   • Germany has been occupying a leading position among foreign investors in Bulgaria.
   • Why should psychology occupy a central position at all levels of education?
   • Members of the clergy occupy a central position in the lives of rank-and-file church members.
   • The majority of Mexicans occupied a liminal position within the racial hierarchy of the southwestern states.
   • He constitutes the third side of the film's dramatic triangle, occupying a vital position.
   • For example, individuals who have been with the company longer may be more likely to occupy central positions in social networks.
   • Most firms are small, but are linked into networks in which a few large corporations (systems houses) occupy key positions.
   • Wine has come to occupy a central position in the social, cultural and economic life of modern Ireland.
   • The Queensland Orchestra occupies a central place in Queensland's cultural life.
   • According to sociologists, people strive to occupy central positions in social networks in order to advance their careers.
   • The PRC will undoubtedly be an important influence on an international system in which it occupies a rather anomalous position.
   • In today's China, public education occupies the dominant position with non-governmental education sprouting up only in the past 10 years.
   • As Kenya's largest group, the Gikuyu occupy a central position in Kenyan social life.
   • A really democratic and inclusive philosophy must insist that nobody in our culture occupies a central position from whom all others merely differ.
3. 1.3 Hold (a position or job)
   拥有（职位，工作）
   a very different job from any that he had occupied before

   Example sentencesExamples

   • All the top jobs were occupied by whites before independence.
   • With Merkel now occupying the chancellery, the circle is complete.
   • With Adorno's support, he returned to Frankfurt in 1964 as a professor of philosophy and sociology, occupying the position that Horkheimer had held.
   • She said outgoing officer Terri-Ann Pettet had done an amazing job in the four years she had occupied the position.
   • You now occupy a position of leadership in your profession.
   • A standard course for those currently occupying a supervisory position is also being developed.
   • Even the poor, low-paid jobs occupied by immigrant workers are now coveted.
   • One-third of the 57 respondents occupy the position of CEO or president and the rest are vice-presidents or managers.
   • After all it was thanks to US and European financial and political backing that he occupies the presidency.
   • From 245 on he occupied a dominant position amongst the Achaeans, normally holding the generalship of the confederacy in alternate years.
   • They occupy their positions at the invitation of the president.
   • There is a Manning Clark Professor at ANU who, as I understand it, simply occupies Manning's old job.
   • I wouldn't want to be president, or occupy any other high-ranking position.
   • If the professor has come out, he or she may unwillingly occupy a position of dual authority in the eyes of students.
   • He moved up the hierarchy and, in 1920, occupied the position of press secretary.
   • Professional positions are usually occupied by individuals who have had post-secondary school education.
   • Toward the end of the Middle Ages, a new type of individual began to occupy the position of shadchan - the paid professional.
   • The target is to achieve 10th place, the position currently occupied by the Czech Republic.
   • It is only three weeks ago that Garang was sworn in as first vice president, a position now occupied by his successor, Salva Kiir.
   • Ninety-one percent of the officers in this sample were vice presidents or occupied a position of higher rank.

   Synonyms

   hold, be in, fill, have

   informal hold down

2Fill or preoccupy (the mind)

她满脑子都是令人不安的问题。

1. 2.1 Keep (someone) busy and active.
   使忙碌
   Sarah occupied herself taking the coffee cups over to the sink

   萨拉忙着把咖啡杯拿到洗碗槽那里。

   Example sentencesExamples

   • For the next few hours, the remaining soldiers were occupied by burying those of their group that had been killed by the rogues.
   • He grinned silently; she was pretty occupied at the moment.
   • I'm terribly sorry but Mr. Collins is occupied at the moment.
   • At least finding this Daniel Mason person would occupy him for a while when he got back.
   • She hid her face and dashed past them while Jennifer was busy occupying Aaron.
   • ‘I am used to working such long hours I shall need something to occupy me,’ he said.
   • But I have plenty of things to do that can pleasantly occupy me.
   • Occupied with her task she became a different person: calm, businesslike, and driven.
   • Here are some movie and artsite suggestions to occupy you.
   • His parents had gone out to dinner, and his sisters were all occupied at the moment.
   • Wenger has other problems to occupy him ahead of today's Highbury meeting with Southampton.
   • I am a regular visitor to the area and particularly on wet, windy days there is little to occupy the children.
   • My father was occupied for such long hours with administration that I hardly saw him at that time.
   • The new leisure centre will provide services for the community, including essential activities to occupy young people.
   • I thought this was strange, but I was occupied at the time with trying to finalize my divorce.
   • McAllister has more than enough to occupy him at club level.
   • The one-month programme recognises the fact that school children need to be gainfully occupied during summer holidays, he adds.
   • Many families are occupied with the task of simply getting by.
   • So, I've got books to occupy me for the next little while.

   Synonyms

   busy, engaged, working, employed, at work, on the job, hard-pressed, active

   absorbed, engrossed, interested, involved, focused on, immersed, preoccupied

   informal tied up, hard at it, wrapped up, on the go, on the trot

   British informal on the hop

3Take control of (a place, especially a country) by military conquest or settlement.

受国际联盟的委任托管，叙利亚由法国军事占领。

1. 3.1 Enter and stay in (a building) without authority and often forcibly, especially as a form of protest.
   （尤指为表示抗议而）非法强占（建筑物）
   the workers occupied the factory

   工人们占领了工厂。

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Since then the workers have been occupying the factory without general trade union support.
   • The workers occupied the factory after a protest stoppage on January 26 in support of a 300 rupees pay increase owing to them since last year.
   • When workers occupied the banks in protest against closures in January, the unions ordered them to be handed over to the receivers.
   • Protesters threatened to occupy the council building if legislators and the shoe company continue to ignore their demands.
   • Workers occupied the factory in protest over the dismissal of 250 of the company's 500-strong workforce.
   • At the beginning of May, the trade unions had been dissolved; trade union offices were forcibly occupied and leading officials arrested.
   • Workers occupied the plant, stayed for over a year and finally won.
   • As part of their protest, workers occupied the factory roof.
   • Early in September, some 5,000 people from various areas in Sampang, protested the delay by occupying the regency office.
   • On September 5 workers occupied a building at the firm's Poznan headquarters and began a hunger strike.
   • The building is occupied by workers from the Traffic Square Restaurant, and other workers working for the owner.
   • In January 2002, hundreds of workers and supporters occupied the utility headquarters for 36 days.
   • Workers have occupied this sprawling factory since the local government sold it to a private enterprise, three years ago.
   • The workers occupied the factory and after three years are still hoping to be able to buy the factory and get it back into production.
   • You could name them, boycott them, occupy their offices and force them out of business.
   • There are about 400 illegal immigrant farm workers occupying buildings in Seville, Spain, demanding the right to stay in the country.
   • In a threatened workplace by far the best answer is for workers to occupy the factory or plant.
   • In some instances, workers have occupied shutdown plants in protest.
   • The workers subsequently occupied the factory and restarted production, this time operating as owners of a cooperative.
   • Protesters, who occupied the council's building, accused the governor of corruption.