Pronunciation: [pɹɪˈɒkjʊpˌa͡ɪd] (IPA) 
The word "preoccupied" is spelled with the prefix "pre-" meaning "before" and the root "occupied" meaning "engaged or absorbed in an activity". The phonetic transcription of "preoccupied" is /priˈɒkjupɑɪd/. The stress is on the second syllable - "oc". The pronunciation of the first syllable is /pri-/ which rhymes with "dry", and the second part "-occupied" is pronounced as /-ˈɒkjupɑɪd/ which rhymes with "crocodile".
Preoccupied is an adjective that describes a state of being completely engrossed or absorbed in one's thoughts, activities, or concerns. It refers to being mentally occupied to such an extent that little attention or energy is available for other matters. When someone is preoccupied, their mind is preoccupied by a specific topic, problem, task, or worry, often leaving them unaware or less attentive to their surroundings or other ongoing discussions.
A preoccupied individual tends to display signs of absentmindedness, as their thoughts are predominantly fixated on a particular matter. They may appear distracted, lost in thought, or frequently preoccupied with their own internal dialogue, disregarding external stimuli or interactions. This mental absorption, or preoccupation, can lead to a lack of focus and decreased productivity in various aspects of life.
Furthermore, being preoccupied can also refer to a person who is consistently preoccupied with their occupation, responsibilities, or commitments, leaving them little time or mental space for leisure or relaxation. Such individuals often find it challenging to detach themselves from their commitments and may struggle to prioritize other aspects of their lives.
Overall, being preoccupied implies a state of mental engagement that inhibits full awareness and attention to present surroundings or alternative priorities.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "preoccupied" is derived from the Latin term "praeoccupare", which is a combination of "prae" meaning "before" and "occupare" meaning "to seize or possess". In its original Latin form, "praeoccupare" meant to seize or take possession of something before someone else could. Over time, this evolved to refer to having one's attention or thoughts taken up by one particular subject or situation, hence the modern meaning of being "preoccupied" with something.
