Occupation: meaning, definitions and examples

Use when referring to a person's main ongoing work or activity, especially in formal or official contexts. It is often used in documents or forms.

• Her occupation is listed as a teacher on the application form.
• What is your father's occupation?

Used when referring to a type of job that requires special education, training, or skill. It often has a formal or prestigious connotation.

• Teaching is a noble profession.
• He is respected in the medical profession.

Appropriate for referring to a person's specific work or task, usually as a source of livelihood. It often implies a short-term or immediate employment situation.

• She got a new job as a cashier.
• He has a part-time job at the local store.

Suitable when talking about a person's progression or path in a specific field or job over time. It implies long-term growth and development.

• He wants to pursue a career in medicine.
• She has had an impressive career in law.

Use when referring to the control of a territory by foreign military forces.

• The occupation of the country by the foreign army lasted for years

Use when talking about the forceful taking of something without consent, often momentarily or suddenly.

• The sudden seizure of the building took everyone by surprise

Appropriate when describing the addition of a territory to a country, often formally and possibly legally.

• The annexation of the neighboring region was ratified by the government

Best applied in situations where a group or nation is forcibly brought under control, often involving oppression.

• The subjugation of the indigenous people led to decades of unrest