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

Woodard said that school would vacate the building at the end of this school year. —Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Gavin Newsom will vacate the office a year hence and probably run for president, leaving some issues slightly better, some slightly worse but all still unresolved. —Dan Walters, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026

Two months after the raid, the Circuit Court of Cook County issued an order mandating that any tenants remaining — who had formed a union in the wake of the operation — vacate the building by early December. —Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026

The new restaurant took over and renovated the former Arby’s location vacated last year. —Teresa Stepzinski, Florida Times-Union, 22 Jan. 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