Prior occupation or possession; the state of holding or occupying something before another party claims it.
From Latin ante (before) + occupatio (seizing, occupying); describes the legal or practical concept of prior possession.
In real estate and property law, anteoccupation was crucial for establishing ownership before modern government record-keeping existed—possession truly was nine-tenths of the law!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.