vacancy

noun

va·​can·​cy ˈvā-kən(t)-sē 

plural vacancies

1

: a vacant office, post, or tenancy

2

a

: a vacating of an office, post, or piece of property

b

: the time such office or property is vacant

3

: physical or mental inactivity or relaxation : idleness

4

: empty space : void

specifically : an unoccupied site for an atom or ion in a crystal

5

: the state of being vacant : vacuity

6

archaic : an interval of leisure

Synonyms

• black hole
• blank
• blankness
• emptiness
• vacuity
• void

Examples of vacancy in a Sentence

School administrators are trying to fill vacancies before the beginning of the school year.

There were no vacancies at the hotel.

Recent Examples on the Web

Lawyers from across the state have the opportunity to select an at-large attorney member who serves as chair of the commission, which routinely evaluates dozens of applications to fill court vacancies. —Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2025

Trump could have controlled the board by appointing members to fill two vacancies. —David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025

The personal finance website recently ranked the most affordable cities for homebuyers in the United States in 2025, comparing 300 locations based on metrics ranging from housing costs to taxes and vacancy rates. —Sarah Linn, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2025

Hershey says this is notable at a time when the Trump administration is cutting weather forecasting budgets and there are many vacancies in the NWS. —Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

vac(ant) + -ancy, in part after Medieval Latin vacantia

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 6

Kids Definition

vacancy

noun

va·​can·​cy ˈvā-kən-sē 

plural vacancies

1

: something (as an office or hotel room) that is vacant

2

: empty space

3

: the state of being vacant