Definition of "preoccupy" [pre•oc•cu•py]

• To occupy completely the mind or attention of; engross. See Synonyms at monopolize. (verb-transitive)
• To occupy or take possession of in advance or before another. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The exhibition explores an artist who was strikingly modern in character, confronting subjects and themes – the city, sexuality, manners, social integration, crime, political corruption, charity and patriotism – that continue to preoccupy us today."
• "One problem is that the ideas that preoccupy the author here have to do with language itself."
• "Unravelling what happened and how close the nation came to disaster will preoccupy scientists and engineers for years."