occŭpātĭo

I. a taking possession of a thing; a seizing, occupying (class.).

I. Lit. (very rare): fori, Cic. Dom. 3: vetus, id. Off. 1, 7, 21.—

II. Transf.

A. Rhet. t. t.: ante occupatio, an anticipation of an opponent's objections, Cic. de Or. 3, 53, 205 (but in Auct. Her. 4, 27, 37, the true reading is occultatio, q. v.).—

B. A business, employment, occupation (the usual meaning, esp. of public service; cf. studium): in maximis occupationibus tuis numquam intermittis studia doctrinae, Cic. Or. 10, 34: maximis occupationibus distinebar, id. Fam. 12, 30, 2: nullis occupationibus inplicatus, id. N. D. 1, 19, 51: ille aut occupatione aut difficultate tardior tibi erit visus, id. Fam. 7, 17, 2: ab omni occupatione se expedire, id. Att. 3, 20, 2: relaxare se occupatione, id. ib. 16, 16, 2.—With gen.: neque has tantularum rerum occupationes sibi Britanniae anteponendas judicabat, Caes. B. G. 4, 22.