occupation
UK[ˌɒkjʊˈpeɪʃn]US[ˌɑːkjʊˈpeɪʃn]
n
a job or profession
n
an activity that occupies your time
n
the action of entering and taking control of a place, especially by military force
n
the action of living in or using a building, room, or piece of land
Morpheme Breakdown
oc
cup
ation
oc
towards
cup
take
ation
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'occupation' originates from the Latin verb 'occupare', meaning 'to seize, take possession of, or employ'. This verb itself is a compound of the prefix 'ob-' (meaning 'toward' or 'completely') and the root 'capere' (meaning 'to take'). The core logic of seizing or taking hold evolved along two primary paths. One path led to the sense of taking control of a place, as in military occupation. The other path developed the meaning of taking up one's time, which broadened into the modern concepts of a job, profession, or regular activity. The suffix '-ation' was added to form the noun describing the state or result of this action.
Analysis
Structure: oc (towards) + cup (take) + ation (noun suffix)
- oc: Latin prefix 'ob-', meaning 'toward, against, in the way of'. It assimilates to 'oc-' before 'c'.
- cup: From Latin root 'capere', meaning 'to take, seize, hold'.
- ation: Latin suffix '-atio', forming nouns of action or state.
Examples
Teaching is a rewarding occupation.
His main occupation on weekends is gardening.
The country was under enemy occupation for five years.