noun · neutral

occupation

UK/ˌɒkjəˈpeɪʃən/US/ˌɑːkjəˈpeɪʃən/oc·cu·PA·tion

Band 6-7speakingtask2

the kind of work a person does to earn money; a person's job or profession

Examples

In Part 1 the examiner might ask, 'What is your occupation?'

My occupation at the moment involves teaching English to teenagers.

Many people change their occupation several times during their lives.

Band 8 sentence

Although my occupation as a graphic designer is creatively rewarding, it often requires long hours and strict deadlines that can be stressful.

Collocations

  • main occupation
  • gainful occupation
  • occupational hazard

Word family

occupy verboccupational adjectiveoccupation noun

Common mistakes

My occupation is teacher.My occupation is a teacher.

I work as occupation of engineer.I work as an engineer.

Say it for a higher band

5job6work7+occupation

Synonyms

job

profession

Easily confused

profession

She entered the legal profession after finishing university.

job

My job as a retail assistant is temporary while I complete my university degree.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In Work & Career

Learn it with its set