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

Currently the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans have vacancies. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026

While board members agreed to eliminate the positions of dozens of teachers who are not based at specific schools, Hepburn said there’s so much turnover among teaching staff that they should easily get placed in schools to fill vacancies and are at low risk for being laid off. —Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2026

In San Diego, 30% of labs are empty, driven by vacancy downtown, where only 10% of lab spaces are occupied. —Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026

Charlotte’s office vacancy rate For the first quarter of the year, Charlotte’s office vacancy rate sat at just over 24%, according to a Cushman & Wakefield report. —Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 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