An occupation is the work that a person does to earn a living. This can describe both long-term careers or more temporary jobs. Occupation can also refer to the state of living or residing on a piece of property. The term is commonly used in this context in adverse possession statutes, which require continuous occupation of property for a specified time period. Occupation can also describe the status of one nation with a military presence in another nation for an extended period of time. This generally occurs during or following a war.
[Last updated in July of 2020 by the Wex Definitions Team]