preoccupation

[ pree-ok-yuh-pey-shuh n, pree-ok- ]

/ priˌɒk yəˈpeɪ ʃən, ˌpri ɒk- /

the state of being preoccupied.

an act of preoccupying.

Origin of preoccupation

1530–40; < Latin praeoccupātiōn- (stem of praeoccupātiō) a taking possession beforehand. See pre-, occupation

o·ver·pre·oc·cu·pa·tion, noun self-pre·oc·cu·pa·tion, noun

Now, Nelly is not famous for his political activism or preoccupation with African-American issues.

Not Every Black Celebrity Has to Take a Stand on Ferguson |Amy Zimmerman |August 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates observed a preoccupation with exit over strategy.

How Obama Lost Afghanistan |Elise Jordan |April 5, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Another sign is a preoccupation with purging the party of heretics.

More Sarah Palin Than Ronald Reagan: CPAC’s Paranoid Style |John Avlon |March 16, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Political finger-pointing has been the preoccupation, but action has been lacking.

Where’s the Retaliation for American Deaths in Benghazi and Algeria? |John Avlon |January 24, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

The preoccupation with martial arts, though, is very much Tarantino.

‘Telegraph Avenue’: Michael Chabon on His Obsessive Novel of Fandom |Josh Dzieza |September 11, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
To this preoccupation of man and dog may be ascribed the ensuing catastrophe.

Caybigan |James Hopper
Probably this was the result of his general physical weakness and in part it was due to his preoccupation with literary labours.

Priestley in America |Edgar F. Smith
Whether it was the “Cubs” or the “Tigers” made no impression on his preoccupation.

The Gay Gnani of Gingalee |Florence Huntley
What is the use to the modern man of this “monumental” contemplation of the past, this preoccupation with the rare and classic?

Thoughts Out of Season (Part II) |Friedrich Nietzsche
Spenser was at work on his Faerie Queene, alongside his preoccupation with state business, for nearly twenty years.

Vanishing Roads and Other Essays |Richard Le Gallienne

preoccupation

/ (priːˌɒkjʊˈpeɪʃən) /

the state of being preoccupied, esp mentally

something that holds the attention or preoccupies the mind