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

With the college football regular season concluding this weekend, several coaching moves are expected in the coming days, given the number of head coaching vacancies available. —Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025

In this state, the fungi’s structure includes conductive pathways that emulate the oxygen vacancies in commercial memristors. —Perri Thaler, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Nov. 2025

Additional dollars will come from parking funds, employee vacancies and other budget transfers. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 27 Nov. 2025

Franklin has since accepted a job at Virginia Tech, while Penn State continues to search for someone to fill its head coaching vacancy. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 27 Nov. 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