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
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
In Charlotte’s case, the vacancy was filled by the Charlotte Bobcats which were later renamed the Charlotte Hornets again, and Baltimore got the Ravens, which had relocated from Cleveland.
—
Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
Briggs, who spoke prior to Smith’s departure for Portland, said the recent vacancies have given the department and the city something of a clean slate.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
When a college men’s basketball blue-blood program — such as Kentucky this past week — has a rare head-coach opening, odds are the vacancy will be filled promptly.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2024
The vacancy rate for office space in downtown Detroit was 19.4% in the first quarter of this year, up from just under 13% in late 2019, according to past market reports from the Newmark real estate firm.
—Detroit Free Press, 15 Apr. 2024
This 168-unit complex in the Gaslamp Quarter, completed in 2020, has a vacancy rate of 21 percent.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
The vacancy rate was 36.7% in the first quarter, up from 35.6% in the fourth quarter.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
Since the start of the pandemic, vacancy rates have risen by more than 10% in Austin and San Francisco, but for very different reasons.
—Byalena Botros, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Its downtown office vacancy rates climbed above 25 percent.
—Robin Pogrebin, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 17 Apr. 2024
Briggs, who spoke prior to Smith’s departure for Portland, said the recent vacancies have given the department and the city something of a clean slate.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
When a college men’s basketball blue-blood program — such as Kentucky this past week — has a rare head-coach opening, odds are the vacancy will be filled promptly.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2024
The vacancy rate for office space in downtown Detroit was 19.4% in the first quarter of this year, up from just under 13% in late 2019, according to past market reports from the Newmark real estate firm.
—Detroit Free Press, 15 Apr. 2024
This 168-unit complex in the Gaslamp Quarter, completed in 2020, has a vacancy rate of 21 percent.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
The vacancy rate was 36.7% in the first quarter, up from 35.6% in the fourth quarter.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
Since the start of the pandemic, vacancy rates have risen by more than 10% in Austin and San Francisco, but for very different reasons.
—Byalena Botros, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2024
Its downtown office vacancy rates climbed above 25 percent.
—Robin Pogrebin, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vacancy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vacancy
Cite this Entry
“Vacancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacancy. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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