Defn: The act or right of taking possession before another; as, the preoccupancy of wild land.
PREOCCUPATE Pre*oc"cu*pate, v. t. Etym: [L. praeoccupatus, p. p. of praeoccupare to preoccupy. See Preoccupy.]
1. To anticipate; to take before. [Obs.] "Fear preoccupateth it [death]." Bacon.
2. To prepossess; to prejudice. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.
PREOCCUPATION
Pre*oc`cu*pa"tion, n. Etym: [L. praeoccupatio: cf. F. préoccupation.]
1. The act of preoccupying, or taking possession of beforehand; the state of being preoccupied; prepossession.
2. Anticipation of objections. [R.] South.
PREOCCUPY
Pre*oc"cu*py, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Preoccupied (-pid); p. pr. & vb. n.
Preoccupying.] Etym: [Cf. F. préoccuper. See Preoccupate, Occupy.]
1. To take possession of before another; as, to preoccupy a country not before held.
2. To prepossess; to engage, occupy, or engross the attention of, beforehand; hence, to prejudice. I Think it more respectful to the reader to leave something to reflections than to preoccupy his judgment. Arbuthnot.