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

Lindstedt’s move to the Senate means that another vacancy committee will now be called to replace him in the state House for the coming session, which starts Jan 14. —Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025

As the fashion world finally filled its designer vacancies, showing some auspicious debut collections, so did the red carpet start to shine again this fall. —Alison Edmond, HollywoodReporter, 23 Dec. 2025

An Oakland tower has been bought in a deal that shows values for East Bay office buildings remain depressed in the wake of waves of loan defaults, property foreclosures and high vacancy levels. —George Avalos, Mercury News, 22 Dec. 2025

In January, the council voted 3-2 – with new councilmembers Blain and Jenny Maeda dissenting – to appoint Christopher Pikus to fill the vacancy. —Susan Gill Vardon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 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