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preoccupation

[pree-ok-yuh-pey-shuhn, pree-ok-] / priˌɒk jəˈpeɪ ʃən, ˌpri ɒk- /


NOUN
mental state
Synonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Deena has an almost stan-like preoccupation with Maddie.

From Salon Aug. 8, 2026

The preoccupation with sizes, in particular, was something many international fans remarked about when interviewed by the BBC about their reflections on visiting America.

From BBC Jun. 19, 2026

"People taking these drugs for obesity often describe a quieting of 'food noise,' the persistent preoccupation with food that drives overeating," Al-Aly said.

From Science Daily Jun. 3, 2026

Her preoccupation with her students and her young son leaves Dick feeling alienated and lonely.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 5, 2026

Among the hearing’s more sinister features was its preoccupation with an encounter between Oppenheimer and his friend Haakon Chevalier just before work began at Los Alamos.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

“Underneath an artist’s preoccupations with sex, society, religion, etc.,” the narrator insists, “there is a soul tortured beyond endurance by the lack of tenderness in the world.”

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 17, 2026

In sum, they open a window into the administration’s ideological preoccupations.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 28, 2026

Besides appealing to what Disraeli’s later acolytes saw as the people’s inclination to a natural order, it reached around preoccupations with transforming institutions to tap into a deeper conservatism.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 12, 2026

It was one of 10 words on a shortlist to reflect the mood, language and preoccupations of 2025.

From BBC Nov. 5, 2025

In the midst of all his preoccupations, Harry had not forgotten his other ambition: finding out what Malfoy was up to in the Room of Requirement.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling




Vocabulary lists containing preoccupation


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