occupancy
noun
oc·cu·pan·cy
ˈä-kyə-pən(t)-sē 
plural occupancies
1
: the fact or condition of holding, possessing, or residing in or on something
occupancy of the estate
2
: the act or fact of taking or having possession (as of unowned land) to acquire ownership
3
: the fact or condition of being occupied
occupancy by more than 400 persons is unlawful
4
: the use to which a property is put
industrial occupancy
5
: a building or part of a building intended to be occupied (as by a tenant)
Examples of occupancy in a Sentence
The sign above the auditorium door says, “Maximum occupancy: 500 persons.”
the landlord notified us of the need to cease occupancy in three months, when our apartment building would be sold
Recent Examples on the Web
Noninterest expense rose by 5.4% to $87.3 million, driven by increases in compensation and benefits, data processing, and occupancy expenses.
—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2025
As its name makes clear, the Roof Space 4 doubles the occupancy of the original Roof Space 2 to sleep a total of four people.
—New Atlas, 11 Mar. 2025
The airline recorded a significant 24% increase in available seat miles, accompanied by modest gains in passenger yield (up 0.5%) and an impressive 150 basis point improvement in occupancy rate relative to 2022.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The military has used the money to build several hotels on the island in recent years, even when tourism was shuttered during the COVID pandemic and despite the low occupancy rates that have plagued the island recently.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occupancy
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Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2025
As its name makes clear, the Roof Space 4 doubles the occupancy of the original Roof Space 2 to sleep a total of four people.
—New Atlas, 11 Mar. 2025
The airline recorded a significant 24% increase in available seat miles, accompanied by modest gains in passenger yield (up 0.5%) and an impressive 150 basis point improvement in occupancy rate relative to 2022.
—Trefis Team, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
The military has used the money to build several hotels on the island in recent years, even when tourism was shuttered during the COVID pandemic and despite the low occupancy rates that have plagued the island recently.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occupancy
Cite this Entry
“Occupancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/occupancy. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
occupancy
noun
oc·cu·pan·cy
ˈäk-yə-pən-sē
plural occupancies
1
: the act or condition of occupying or taking possession
takes occupancy on the first of the month
2
: the state of being occupied
an occupancy limit of 5 persons
Legal Definition
occupancy
noun
oc·cu·pan·cy
ˈä-kyə-pən-sē
plural occupancies
1
: the fact or condition of holding, possessing, or residing in or on something
occupancy of the premises
2
: the act or fact of taking or having possession (as of abandoned property) to acquire ownership
3
: the fact or condition of being occupied
occupancy by more than 400 persons is unlawful
4
: the use to which a property is put
designed for industrial occupancy
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