preoccupation
noun
pre·oc·cu·pa·tion
(ˌ)prē-ˌä-kyə-ˈpā-shən 
1
: an act of preoccupying : the state of being preoccupied
2
a
: extreme or excessive concern with something
b
: something that preoccupies one
Synonyms
Examples of preoccupation in a Sentence
We need to better understand the problems and preoccupations of our clients.
the future entomologist's preoccupation with insects from a very early age
Recent Examples on the Web
His camera’s graceful gyrations render all the more explicit the inextricable bond of dramas and their landscapes, embodying the film’s ideal of a physical and aesthetic connection with nature—its preoccupations with the spiritual dimensions of landscape and climate, color and texture.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025
Schrader doubles down on his thematic and stylistic preoccupations — Bressonian visual gestures, Dostoyevskian spiritual journeys, and a pointed social conscience, to name a few — but The Card Counter never feels like a retread of past ideas.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
More broadly, experts say that Seoul’s preoccupation with its domestic political crisis is likely to distract from its ability to focus on global issues, such as Ukraine.
—Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024
People’s preoccupation with collapse—or extinction—is by no means new.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preoccupation 
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Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025
Schrader doubles down on his thematic and stylistic preoccupations — Bressonian visual gestures, Dostoyevskian spiritual journeys, and a pointed social conscience, to name a few — but The Card Counter never feels like a retread of past ideas.
—Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
More broadly, experts say that Seoul’s preoccupation with its domestic political crisis is likely to distract from its ability to focus on global issues, such as Ukraine.
—Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024
People’s preoccupation with collapse—or extinction—is by no means new.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for preoccupation
Dictionary Entries Near preoccupation
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preoccupation. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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