Pre- means before, right? Well, what does before mean?

No, really! Try to define the word before, as if you're explaining it to someone who's just starting to learn English, or to a very young kid.

Most of us would explain it like this: "Before means first in time."

And so, when most of us see a word that starts with pre-, as in preoccupy, we expect pre- to mean "before" in the sense of time. Like it does in, say, preschool, prepare, pre___ious ("maturing early"), pre___nition ("knowledge of things before they happen"), and prec___ ("a universal idea or statement that most people would accept from the get-go, before any discussion or argument").

But pre- can also mean "before" in the sense of physical space. That is, when something is placed before you, it's placed in front of you. That's what's going on with pre___itate, which literally means "(thrown) with the head in front," and today means "to hurl downward, to cause suddenly." 

And, pre- can mean "before" in the sense of importance. That's what's going on (usually) with preoccupy: when something preoccupies you, it engages you fully, putting itself before other things—in time, sure, but also in priority. The same goes for pred__inant, meaning "common or popular, as if more important than everything else."

So if you're ever staring at a word that starts with pre-, wondering what the pre- is even doing there, it could help to recall its other meanings: not just "before in time" but also "before in space, before in importance." 

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) 

"Occupy" literally means "to take over." 

And "preoccupy" literally means "to take over more than everything else."

They're based on the Latin capere, which means "to take, to grasp, to seize, to hold, to assume, or to understand." Imagine a task that you're busy with: it's as if the task has taken you, grasped you, seized you, held onto you. And now it's using up all your time and focus.

When something preoccupies you, or when you're preoccupied with something, it takes up practically all of your time and attention, often in a way that worries you, but sometimes in a way that pleases you.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Verb, the transitive kind: "The game preoccupied me;" "I was preoccupied by the game;" "I was preoccupied with the game."

Other common forms: 

The other verb forms are "preoccupied" and "preoccupying." These also work as adjectives, like this: "A child sat at the computer, preoccupied;" "That game is preoccupying."

The noun is "preoccupation," as in "I noticed your preoccupation at dinner; are you okay?" or "I don't share their preoccupation with cryptocurrency."

how to use it:

You might say that you're just "occupied" by or with something if you're busy with it. But if you're so busy with it that you can't seem to pay attention to anything else, say that you're "preoccupied" by or with it. 

"Preoccupy" is a formal, serious, common word. It carries a slight negative connotation: that is, a preoccupied person might be worried, obsessed, or even negligent toward other important things, rather than just interested, engaged, and immersed. (Or both; maybe they've just fallen in love!)

Typically we use "preoccupy" passively, like this: "I was preoccupied by food;" "I was preoccupied with counting calories."

("By" and "with" are pretty much interchangeable here. If there's any difference, my best guess is that "by" gives more power and emphasis to the thing that preoccupies you, as if that thing is actively grabbing and holding your attention; while "with" puts you and the object of your preoccupation on more equal footing.)

We can also use "preoccupy" actively; it's just not as common: "Food preoccupied me;" "Counting calories preoccupied my mind;" "Planning out meals preoccupied my thoughts."

Lastly, you don't have to specify what it is that's preoccupying someone. You might point out that a friend seems preoccupied lately, even if you don't know what's preoccupying them.

examples:

"I've been so preoccupied that I've just now noticed Miss Anderson's companion, a sickly pale man who is draining his third glass of wine."
   — Justina Ireland, Dread Nation, 2018

"When citizens are incessantly preoccupied with amusement and spectacle, they have fewer opportunities to analyze and discuss the societal challenges that confront them."
  — Bernd Reiter, Salon, 13 April 2025

has this page helped you understand "preoccupy"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "preoccupy" without saying "engross" or "immerse."

try it out:

Here's Lewis Gordon describing a piece of free software called Bitsy:

"[It] has become one of the easiest ways to start making video games... Games made using the software, described on its site as a 'little editor for little games,' are a notable departure from mainstream titles preoccupied with photorealistic graphics, gigantic open worlds, and complex game mechanics."

In other words, when you make games using Bitsy, you don't have to be obsessed, consumed, or distracted by those big fancy features. You can just create a cool experience for your players.

With this in mind as an example, talk about a person, a group, or a creation that, refreshingly, isn't preoccupied with certain things.

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "CLICKBAIT THIS!"

Summon your creativity and dismiss your sense of decency as you invent a clickbaity description: one that's urgent, exaggerated, ungrammatical, conspiratorial, utterly false, emotionally abrasive, vaguely revelatory, full of feigned shock, and/or bloated with capital letters, question marks, exclamation points, and/or emojis. Get in there and be shameless.

If you're sufficiently disgusted with your clickbait, share it with a friend and see if they can guess its subject. I'll also share mine with you to see if you can guess it.

Clickbait this today: A TV show of your choice.

Try guessing my TV show: GIRL SHIPPED IN BOX, SISTER? WIFE?? (You won't belive what she can do)

Scroll all the way down for the answer to mine.

review this word:

1. Near opposites of PREOCCUPIED include

A. WEAK and FLIMSY.
B. SCATTERED and DISTRACTIBLE.
C. SUCCULENT and SUBSTANTIAL.

2. From Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go: "Ruth herself had on a _____ expression, like she'd suddenly become preoccupied _____ something else entirely."

A. vague .. with
B. frenzied .. for
C. mischievous .. to

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. A From the game: Firefly.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.