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
The house is unsafe for human occupancy.
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
a single occupancy room
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
The third proposal would establish and enforce occupancy limits requiring all tenants to be listed on leases and license applications and prohibit unlicensed short term subletting in smaller residential units.
—
Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Laypeople can’t easily reproduce those calculations without insider data, and some easier-to-find metrics, such as occupancy rates, don’t tell the full story, Leuchter said.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
Earlier in December, a certificate of occupancy was issued for a rebuilt home in West Altadena, marking the return of a man who’d lived on the property for 48 years, officials said.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
According to the Nashville Downtown Partnership, which tracks downtown growth closely, current rental occupancy is about 92%, down from about 93% the same time last year.
—Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for occupancy
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Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Laypeople can’t easily reproduce those calculations without insider data, and some easier-to-find metrics, such as occupancy rates, don’t tell the full story, Leuchter said.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
Earlier in December, a certificate of occupancy was issued for a rebuilt home in West Altadena, marking the return of a man who’d lived on the property for 48 years, officials said.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
According to the Nashville Downtown Partnership, which tracks downtown growth closely, current rental occupancy is about 92%, down from about 93% the same time last year.
—Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Dec. 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 5 Jan. 2026.
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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