vacant

adjective

va·​cant ˈvā-kənt How to pronounce vacant (audio)
1
: not occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer
a vacant office
vacant thrones
2
: being without content or occupant
a vacant seat on a bus
a vacant room
3
: free from activity or work : disengaged
vacant hours
4
: devoid of thought, reflection, or expression
a vacant smile
5
: not lived in
vacant houses
6
a
: not put to use
vacant land
b
: having no heir or claimant : abandoned
a vacant estate
vacantly adverb
vacantness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for vacant

empty, vacant, blank, void, vacuous mean lacking contents which could or should be present.

empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

Examples of vacant in a Sentence

These lockers are all vacant. The seat was left vacant when the secretary resigned. He had a vacant expression on his face.
Recent Examples on the Web There are several questions Imperial Beach does not have answers to, such as how much property tax and investment has been lost and how many underused or vacant lands could have been developed if not for water quality impacts, said City Manager Tyler Foltz. Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 June 2024 Instead of settling the Palestinian land with Israelis, the zones would be vacant no-man areas and heavily guarded by the Israeli military. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 June 2024 Cuts to budget as expensive jail looms The cuts to vacant positions come as the board continues to mull whether to pay for a costly addition to the Main Jail downtown. Ariane Lange, Sacramento Bee, 6 June 2024 But the firm as of late has dipped its toe in Prairie Village’s small-town politics, including representing a man who recently sued the city after unsuccessfully applying for a vacant council seat. Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for vacant 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vacant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vacaunt, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin vacant-, vacans, present participle of vacāre "to be empty or unoccupied, have space, be free,"; perhaps akin to Hittite wakkāari "lacks," wakšyi- "be lacking"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vacant was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near vacant

Cite this Entry

“Vacant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacant. Accessed 11 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

vacant

adjective
va·​cant ˈvā-kənt How to pronounce vacant (audio)
1
: not filled, used, or lived in
a vacant house
2
: free from duties or care
a few vacant hours
3
: showing lack of thought
a vacant stare
vacantly adverb

Legal Definition

vacant

adjective
va·​cant
1
: not filled or occupied
2
a
: not put to use
vacant land
b
: having no heir or claimant
a vacant estate

More from Merriam-Webster on vacant

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