# preoccupy

> English word · Verb · IPA /pɹɪˈɒkjupaɪ/

## Definitions
1. To distract; to draw attention elsewhere.
2. To worry or concern (someone) so as to distract them.
3. To occupy or take possession of beforehand.

## Etymology
From pre- + occupy, after Middle French preoccuper, and its source, Latin praeoccupo, praeoccupare. Doublet of preoccupate, now obsolete.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/preoccupy