vacate

verb

va·​cate ˈvā-ˌkāt  vā-ˈkāt 

vacated; vacating

transitive verb

1

a

: to deprive of an incumbent or occupant

b

: to give up the incumbency or occupancy of

2

: to make legally void : annul

intransitive verb

: to vacate an office, post, or tenancy

Synonyms of vacate

• abolish
• cancel
• repeal
• overturn
• avoid
• rescind

Examples of vacate in a Sentence

She refused to vacate her post even under increased pressure.

The election will fill the congressional seat vacated by the retiring senator.

The police told everyone to vacate the premises.

Students must vacate their rooms at the end of the semester.

The court vacated the conviction.

Recent Examples on the Web

Werner Kunkel spent more than 30 years in prison on a murder conviction that a state court vacated earlier this year. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court last month vacated the murder conviction of Brockton mother Latarsha Sanders, ruling jurors were improperly prevented from seeing psychiatric records central to her insanity defense and ordering a new trial. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Ishbia is a shareholder in Canal Edge, the company under contract to buy the site Amtrak would vacate. — Lauren Victory, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Additionally, Kiley highlighted an issue with a current congressional rule, which requires representatives who leave a party caucus or conference to vacate their seats on committees and subcommittees. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin vacātus, past participle of vacāre "to annul," going back to Latin, "to be empty, have space" (sense probably by confusion with Medieval Latin vacuāre "to annul," going back to Latin, "to empty," derivative of vacuus "empty") — more at vacant, vacuum entry 1

First Known Use

1643, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Rhymes for vacate

• placate

Kids Definition

vacate

verb

va·​cate ˈvā-ˌkāt  vā-ˈkāt 

vacated; vacating

: to leave vacant

Legal Definition

vacate

verb

va·​cate

vacated; vacating

transitive verb

1

: to make void : annul, set aside

vacate a lower court order

2

a

: to make vacant

b

: to give up the occupancy of

intransitive verb

: to vacate an office, post, or tenancy