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
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
During this period, the concept of immortality—the physical departure from human society and the achievement of eternal life—became a national preoccupation.
—
Jane Levere, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Johnson’s appearance, however, occurred not in the current wave of federal overreach but in May of 1935, amid a feverish preoccupation with communism in academia.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
What the director hadn’t learned at this embryonic stage was how to bend his perverse preoccupations into a compelling dramatic shape, or even into gross-out thrills.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
People generally have higher trust in information sources close to home and greater skepticism about institutions such as the government in Washington and the national media that are far removed from their day-to-day preoccupations.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupation
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Jane Levere, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Johnson’s appearance, however, occurred not in the current wave of federal overreach but in May of 1935, amid a feverish preoccupation with communism in academia.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
What the director hadn’t learned at this embryonic stage was how to bend his perverse preoccupations into a compelling dramatic shape, or even into gross-out thrills.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
People generally have higher trust in information sources close to home and greater skepticism about institutions such as the government in Washington and the national media that are far removed from their day-to-day preoccupations.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupation
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preoccupation. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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