occupant

/ˈɒkjəpənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɑːkjəpənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈä-kyə-pənt/ (ame, mw)

occupant — noun

  • occupantsingular
  • occupantsplural

1. someone who uses a room, office, or building as their regular home or workplace.

1.名詞B2
釋義

someone who uses a room, office, or building as their regular home or workplace.

例句

The occupant of Apartment 6B asked the plumber to fix a leaking pipe.

occupant of + apartment

The office occupant was still inside, so Mira could not unlock the door.

office occupant in a workplace context

同義詞
  • resident

    usually suggests a longer connection to a place such as a town, block, or building

  • tenant

    narrower; specifically someone who rents the property

  • user

    broader and less personal; often used for offices, facilities, or systems

反義詞
  • visitor

    someone present temporarily rather than based there

文法句型

occupant of + room/building/office/flat

the current/former/new occupant

用法筆記

Often used in formal notices, property records, and safety reports. It identifies the person using the space without saying whether they own it, rent it, or simply work there.

常見錯誤

❌The occupant pays rent every month, so she is the owner.
✅The occupant pays rent every month, so she is the tenant.
💡'occupant' only says who uses the property; it does not mean the person owns it.
❌She is an occupant of Taipei.
✅She is a resident of Taipei.
💡for a whole city or town, 'resident' is usually more natural than 'occupant'.

2. the person using a certain seat, car, room, or similar place at that moment.

2.名詞B2
釋義

the person using a certain seat, car, room, or similar place at that moment.

例句

Police asked the front-seat occupant to show an ID card.

front-seat occupant in a vehicle report

The last occupant of the lift pressed the alarm before the power failed.

occupant of + lift at a particular time

同義詞
  • passenger

    fits transport contexts only and not rooms or seats in general

  • user

    can fit seats or spaces, but focuses more on function than physical presence

  • occupier

    more legal or property-focused, and less natural for vehicles

反義詞
  • bystander

    someone nearby but not inside the place or vehicle

文法句型

occupant of + car/seat/room/lift

front-seat/rear-seat occupant

occupants remain inside + place

用法筆記

Common in police, safety, and technical reports, especially for vehicles and rooms. It focuses on who was inside at that moment, not on ownership or long-term residence.

常見錯誤

❌The occupant drove the bus all day.
✅The driver drove the bus all day.
💡an occupant may simply be inside the vehicle; the word does not mean the person controlling it.
❌There were fifty occupants on the train.
✅There were fifty passengers on the train.
💡in ordinary travel talk, 'passenger' is usually more natural than 'occupant'.