Synonym Chooser

How does the noun occupation differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of occupation are business, calling, employment, métier, pursuit, and work. While all these words mean "a specific sustained activity engaged in especially in earning one's living," occupation implies work in which one engages regularly especially as a result of training.

his occupation as a trained auto mechanic

In what contexts can business take the place of occupation?

While in some cases nearly identical to occupation, business suggests activity in commerce or the management of money and affairs.

the business of managing a hotel

When can calling be used instead of occupation?

The words calling and occupation can be used in similar contexts, but calling applies to an occupation viewed as a vocation or profession.

the ministry seemed my true calling

When might employment be a better fit than occupation?

While the synonyms employment and occupation are close in meaning, employment implies work for which one has been engaged and is being paid by an employer.

your employment with this firm is hereby terminated

When is it sensible to use métier instead of occupation?

The words métier and occupation are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, métier implies a calling or pursuit for which one believes oneself to be especially fitted.

acting was my one and only métier

Where would pursuit be a reasonable alternative to occupation?

The synonyms pursuit and occupation are sometimes interchangeable, but pursuit suggests a trade, profession, or avocation followed with zeal or steady interest.

her family considered medicine the only proper pursuit

When would work be a good substitute for occupation?

Although the words work and occupation have much in common, work may apply to any purposeful activity whether remunerative or not.

her work as a hospital volunteer

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of occupation Columbia University has expelled and issued lengthy suspensions to dozens of students for participating in the pro-Palestinian occupation of Butler Library just days before final exams in May. Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 22 July 2025 The one-mile creek, located on a largely uninhabited island, had been given its name during World War II after the Americans recaptured Kiska Island from the Japanese military, following an occupation that lasted a little over a year. Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 21 July 2025 The amendment would prohibit the legislature from ever imposing an occupation tax on certain entities or imposing a securities transaction tax. Bethany Blankley, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2025 In the early 1980s, the first generation of Ocalan’s PKK fighters were trained by leftist Palestinian militants in Bekaa Valley in Lebanon and the PKK fought alongside the same Palestinian militants against the Israeli occupation of Lebanon in 1982. Ragip Soylu, Time, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for occupation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for occupation
Noun
  • Health care has evolved from a profession into big business.
    Robert D. Greenberg, Baltimore Sun, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Johnson sees a reckoning ahead and is worried about teachers leaving the profession.
    Marybeth Gasman, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Locations with 85% or higher occupancy rates will incur a $50 premium fee per night.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 28 July 2025
  • When the pandemic shifted work patterns and economic conditions tightened, occupancy rates plummeted from 72% in 2019 to 47% in 2021, but WeWork remained locked into billions in lease payments.
    Tima Bansal, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • Today, only 100 to 200 women enter a religious vocation each year in the U.S., and some never complete the process.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2025
  • Yet both, under different titles, are devoted to the personal and social vocation of the same human beings.
    Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Due to climate change, the Northeast will be one of the few parts of the US that will have a climate suitable for many kinds of agriculture and for human habitation.
    Kip Kolesinskas, Hartford Courant, 11 July 2025
  • Meanwhile, the prospect that asteroid orbits may be deliberately changed for research and mining, or in the future, by habitation, has gained the attention of a student team from Imperial College London, the University of Santiago de Compostela and Cairo University.
    Leonard David, Space.com, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • Slowing Recent Job Growth Part of the FOMC’s mandate is full employment, and July’s jobs report showed some slowing in job growth.
    Simon Moore, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
  • The countries offer different protections and rights, as well as different opportunities for employment and eventual citizenship.
    Claire Harbage, NPR, 2 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Such a phenomenon comes as wealthy Indians are considering other residencies for strategic purposes, rather than a permanent relocation, Himanshu Kohli, co-founder of multi-family office Client Associates, told me.
    Amala Balakrishner, CNBC, 24 July 2025
  • The new Taylor Swift figures also will appear in Tussaud attractions in Amsterdam; Berlin; Blackpool, England; Budapest; Hollywood, California; Hong Kong; Las Vegas; London; Nashville; New York; and Sydney, plus a touring figure is beginning its its residency in Shanghai.
    Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • While Grace is considering joining the RAF, Maudie is hoping to go into law and study further and Rose may moved abroad for work.
    Kirsty Hatcher, People.com, 31 July 2025
  • Perhaps most importantly, RPA frees human staff for more valuable, meaningful work.
    Kali Durgampudi, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Occupation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/occupation. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on occupation

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