Occupants
ˈɒkjʊpənts
Definitions
People who are in a place or vehicle.
ˈɒkjʊpənts
People who live in or use a space.
The occupants of the house were surprised by the sudden storm.
💡 Simply: Occupants are the people *using* a space. Imagine you're on a bus – the occupants are all the people sitting and riding with you. Think of it as the *who* that fills a space!
👶 For kids: Occupants are the people who are living or staying in a place, like a house or a car.
More Examples
Firefighters rescued the occupants from the burning building.
The train was carrying many occupants.
How It's Used
"The building can accommodate a maximum of 500 occupants."
"The occupants of the property were given 24 hours to vacate."
From Latin *occupāre* 'to seize, take possession of,' related to *ob-* 'in front of, toward' + *capere* 'to take.' The suffix -ant indicates a person or thing that performs an action.
The term has been used in legal and administrative contexts since the 17th century, referring to those who possess or reside in property.
Memory tip
Think of occupants as the people 'in' something, like a car or a house.
Practice
Word Origin
Root: occupāre