vacuity

noun

va·​cu·​i·​ty va-ˈkyü-ə-tē How to pronounce vacuity (audio)
və-
plural vacuities
1
: an empty space
2
: the state, fact, or quality of being vacuous
3
: something (such as an idea) that is vacuous or inane

Examples of vacuity in a Sentence

We tired of the vacuity of their conversation. the seemingly endless vacuity between settlements in the desert
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In assigning him that seemingly perverse task, Scorsese tapped into the vague air of vacuity at the center of a star who’s always seemed present and absent all at once. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2025 Only a few days into quarantine, a loathsome instant classic of Hollywood vacuity had been born. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025 The transpersonal quality of great art has its dark side in the vacuity of hotel paintings, Muzak, and formulaic paperback novels. Meghan O'Gieblyn, WIRED, 20 Feb. 2024 Beckmann renders the physical and psychical trauma in drawings and works on paper made in the years just after the war: A disfigured soldier rides a tram with a bandage wrapped across his face, probably hiding the vacuity that was once his nose. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for vacuity

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vacuitee, borrowed from Latin vacuitās, from vacuus "empty, unoccupied" + -itās -ity — more at vacuum entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vacuity was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vacuity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacuity. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

vacuity

noun
va·​cu·​ity
va-ˈkyü-ət-ē,
və-
plural vacuities
1
: an empty space
2
: the quality or state of being vacuous
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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