preoccupied
adjectiveverbattested in dialogue
- United States
Concerned with something else; distracted; giving one's attention elsewhere.
adjective
- 1
Concerned with something else; distracted; giving one's attention elsewhere.
I was preoccupied with a deadline at work, and I forgot his birthday.
- 2
archaicAlready occupied.
Terrified at this uproar, which disconcerted the magician himself, she ran for shelter into the place which was preoccupied by the other lady […].
Scythrop, retiring to his tower, found his study preoccupied.
Presently the gudeman […] with much bowing and many respectful compliments, managed to tell the guest that the room was preoccupied for that night, as two dykers had come and, according to prearrangement, were to sleep in the bed!
- 3
obsoletePrepossessed; biased.
- 4
Describing a taxonomic name not available for use because it is already used for another.
In 1924 J. D. Tothill revised the nearctic species in the genus Fabriciella, a name proposed by Bezzi in 1906 to replace Fabricia Rob. D. which is preoccupied.
verb
- 1
Also a form of preoccupysimple past and past participle of preoccupy
Forms
- comparative
- more preoccupied
- superlative
- most preoccupied
preoccupied · Concerned with something else; distracted; giving one's attention elsewhere.
prep · Preparation.preparation · The act of preparing or getting ready.prepare · To make ready for a specific future purpose; to set up; to…