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 of vacancy

• emptiness
• 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

The appointment fills a key leadership vacancy atop the nation's largest military branch. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Wieffer could have been a candidate to fill the No 6 vacancy created by Carlos Baleba’s move to Manchester United, but that slot has been covered by the late swoop for Andres from Stuttgart on deadline day. — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

The bigger challenge will be the capacity to deliver results with a US diplomatic apparatus weakened by staffing cuts and vacancies. — Yinka Adegoke, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026

The Aurora City Council would have 30 days to fill the vacancy, and if there’s more than 13 months remaining in the term, then a special election would be held to fill the seat within nine months. — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026

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