Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

preoccupate

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: pre-oc-cu-pate
IPA

19

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To influence, to occupy (the mind) in advance; to be preoccupied with.

Obsolete

verb

To meet in advance; to forestall, pre-empt.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"the mad and fond curiositie of our nature, ammusing it selfe to preoccupate future things, as if it had not enough to doe to digest the present."

Etymology

Borrowed from past participle stem of Latin praeoccupare, from prae- (“pre-”) + occupare (“occupy”); equivalent to pre- + occupate. Doublet of preoccupy.

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Prefix: pre
Root: *keh₂p-, praeoccupare

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

preoccupates (present, singular) preoccupating (participle, present) preoccupated (participle, past) preoccupated (past) præoccupate (alternative)

Questions

What does preoccupate mean?: To influence, to occupy (the mind) in advance; to be preoccupied with.
Where does preoccupate come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce preoccupate

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