preoccupation

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The state of being preoccupied or an idea that preoccupies the mind; enthrallment.

   “The same preoccupation with developing a conceptual framework is evident in David Blank's Venezuela: Politics in a Petroleum Republic, a modified version of Blank's early theses.”

   “Halalisation signifies a powerful and growing preoccupation with the proliferation of […]”

   “At the same time that they invoke Christian identity, the civilizationists also stress their secularism. But there is no contradiction between the populist right’s Christianism and its secularism, since both derive from a preoccupation with Islam.”

   “As an adult, I became a journalist whose beat is the environment. In a way, I’ve turned my youthful preoccupations into a profession.”

   “Uncertain how to address a French preoccupation with security and immigration, and facing a generational fracture over identity politics, the left’s disarray has allowed Mr. Macron to tilt rightward for votes.”

2. (countable, uncountable)The act of occupying something before someone else.