unoccupied

adjective

un·​oc·​cu·​pied ˌən-ˈä-kyə-ˌpīd How to pronounce unoccupied (audio)
Synonyms of unoccupiednext
: not occupied: such as
a
: not busy : unemployed
b
: not lived in : empty

Examples of unoccupied in a Sentence

About half of the seats were unoccupied when the concert started. A third of the beds at the hospital were unoccupied.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To provide some perspective, billions of dollars are spent annually to operate and maintain outdated and largely unoccupied federal buildings. — Letters To The Editor, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 With the help of license plate readers and other investigative efforts, police located the pickup near Clement and Mendocino avenues, which was unoccupied. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 An unoccupied vehicle was stuck on the railroad tracks and was hit by a train, police said. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Oct. 2026 This savage bit of theatre comes back to haunt Fahrenberg when the tree intended for Georg remains unoccupied. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unoccupied

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unoccupied was in the 15th century

Rhymes for unoccupied

See All Rhymes for unoccupied

Browse Nearby Words

unoccupancy
unoccupied
unoffended
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unoccupied.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unoccupied. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

unoccupied

adjective
un·​oc·​cu·​pied ˌən-ˈäk-yə-ˌpīd How to pronounce unoccupied (audio)
ˈən-
1
: not busy : unemployed
2
: not occupied : empty

More from Merriam-Webster on unoccupied

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