preoccupation
UK[priːˌɒkjʊˈpeɪʃən]US[priˌɑːkjəˈpeɪʃən]
n
The state of constantly thinking or worrying about something.
n
Something that a person thinks about or worries about constantly.
Morpheme Breakdown
pre
occup
ation
pre
before
occup
take
ation
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'preoccupation' originates from the Latin verb praeoccupare, meaning "to seize beforehand." This verb is a compound of prae- (before) and occupare (to seize, occupy). The literal sense of seizing something before others evolved into the figurative meaning of occupying the mind or attention in advance of other matters. By the 17th century, the English noun had solidified its modern abstract sense, describing a state where one's thoughts are so thoroughly "taken over" or "engaged beforehand" by a particular subject that it dominates their mental focus, often to the exclusion of other concerns.
Analysis
Structure: pre (before) + occup (take) + ation (noun suffix)
- pre: Latin origin, meaning "before, in advance." A prefix indicating priority or precedence.
- occup: From Latin occupare (to seize, take possession of, employ). A root denoting the act of taking or engaging.
- ation: Latin suffix -ationem, forming nouns of action or state from verbs.
Examples
His main preoccupation was finding a new job.
She was unaware of her surroundings, lost in her own preoccupations.
A preoccupation with safety can sometimes hinder innovation.