unoccupied

unoccupied — adjective

1. describes a space that has no people inside, or a person who has no activity to

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describes a space that has no people inside, or a person who has no activity to do at the moment

例句

The house next door has been unoccupied for nearly two years.

unoccupied house / property

Hyun spotted an unoccupied seat near the window and walked toward it quickly.

unoccupied seat / chair

同義詞
  • empty

    broader meaning — can refer to containers, streets, or spaces, not just intended-use places

  • vacant

    more formal; preferred for job positions and rental properties

  • free

    casual and common for a person's schedule or an available seat

  • idle

    slightly negative connotation of laziness or wasted time when describing a person

反義詞
  • occupied

    direct opposite across both sub-meanings

  • busy

    opposite for describing a person's schedule

文法句型

be unoccupied

用法筆記

Subject determines which meaning applies: a building or seat that is unoccupied is physically empty; a person who is unoccupied has no work or obligation. Not used for phone lines or electronic devices.

常見錯誤

❌I looked for an unoccupied job online.
✅I looked for a vacant job online.
💡For job positions, use 'vacant' instead of 'unoccupied.'
❌The phone line is unoccupied.
✅The phone line is free.
💡'Unoccupied' does not apply to communication lines or channels.

2. describes a land or area that is not taken over or kept under control by an outs

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a land or area that is not taken over or kept under control by an outside army or government

例句

During the war, large areas of the countryside remained unoccupied by either side.

unoccupied by [army/side]

The treaty recognized the eastern region as an unoccupied territory.

unoccupied territory

同義詞
  • free

    broader meaning; can refer to any area not under control

  • autonomous

    implies self-government, not just absence of foreign control

  • liberated

    suggests freedom was actively achieved, not merely the default state

反義詞
  • occupied

    direct opposite — controlled by foreign forces

  • seized

    more specific — forcibly taken over

文法句型

unoccupied + noun

be + unoccupied

用法筆記

Commonly found in historical and political texts about wartime zones or disputed borders. Does not apply to buildings or rooms; use sense 1 for those.

常見錯誤

❌The warehouse was unoccupied by enemy soldiers.
✅The territory was unoccupied by enemy forces.
💡Sense 2 describes land and regions, not individual buildings.
❌This seat is unoccupied — can I sit here?' (when referring to the military/political sense)
✅This seat is free
💡can I sit here?' — Reserve 'unoccupied' for its political meaning only in formal or historical contexts.