[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/preoccupation/)

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# preoccupation

noun (a preoccupation, preoccupations; preoccupation uncountable)

«preoccupation» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A state of thinking about one thing so much that you hardly notice other things: «In his preoccupation, he missed the bus.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preoccupation/#m1)
2. Something that fills your mind all the time, a worry or strong interest: «Football is his main preoccupation.» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preoccupation/#m2)

### In the lessons

In stories it shows a character lost in thought or worried; in everyday life it names what someone cares about most. Phrases: «a preoccupation with», «main preoccupation», «lost in preoccupation».

### Examples

- Her preoccupation with the test made her forget her lunch. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preoccupation/#x1)
- Winning the cup was the team's only preoccupation. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preoccupation/#x2)
- Dad's main preoccupation is paying the bills. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preoccupation/#x3)
- His preoccupation with his phone annoyed his gran. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preoccupation/#x4)
- The writer's great preoccupation was the sea. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preoccupation/#x5)
- In her preoccupation she walked straight past her friend. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preoccupation/#x6)

### Note

Countable when it means a thing that fills your mind (preoccupations); uncountable when it means the state. Use «with»: a preoccupation with money. Adjective: preoccupied; verb: preoccupy. Not about «occupation» (a job), though it shares the root.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «preoccupation» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preoccupation/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«preoccupation» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/preoccupation.html) on Mova free.