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

Shankar Duraiswamy, arguing for the New Jersey AG on Friday, urged the court to vacate and set aside the federal Department of Transportation’s decision to freeze the funds and halt a work stoppage. —Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026

Li’l Abner’s 3,000 or so residents were ordered to vacate their trailers because CREI Holdings, the landowner, intended to develop the land beneath the trailers to build a multi-family housing complex. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 5 Feb. 2026

The museum and its preschool vacated the site and settled temporarily in a building on the Emanuel Synagogue property on Mohegan Drive. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 5 Feb. 2026

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor vacated his 30-room mansion Monday night and is now staying at Wood Farm, a temporary home on the Sandringham estate, the BBC reported. —Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 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