as in obsession
something about which one is constantly thinking or concerned
the future entomologist's preoccupation with insects from a very early age
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Recent Examples of preoccupation
The problem with this framing, however, is that the preoccupation with these fetal development markers originated in law and politics, not in science or medicine.
—
Katrina Kimport, The Conversation, 23 May 2025
Deprivation, along with a preoccupation with food, our bodies, and working out, only increases that vulnerability.
—Time, 26 June 2025
Everything from schooling and leisure to clothes and food in the Xi household were shaped by broader preoccupations within the elite.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
If concerns about their appearance become an obsession or preoccupation.
—Ashleigh N. Deluca, Parents, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupation
Katrina Kimport, The Conversation, 23 May 2025
Deprivation, along with a preoccupation with food, our bodies, and working out, only increases that vulnerability.
—Time, 26 June 2025
Everything from schooling and leisure to clothes and food in the Xi household were shaped by broader preoccupations within the elite.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
If concerns about their appearance become an obsession or preoccupation.
—Ashleigh N. Deluca, Parents, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupation
obsession
Noun
-
Given my obsession with identity, Simon’s comments on access control caught my eye.—
David G.W. Birch,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
-
What matters is whether genuine compatibility exists beneath the obsession.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
5 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupation. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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