vacate

verb

va·​cate ˈvā-ˌkāt  vā-ˈkāt 

vacated; vacating

transitive verb

1

a

: to deprive of an incumbent or occupant

b

: to give up the incumbency or occupancy of

2

: to make legally void : annul

intransitive verb

: to vacate an office, post, or tenancy

Synonyms of vacate

• abolish
• cancel
• repeal
• overturn
• avoid
• rescind

Examples of vacate in a Sentence

She refused to vacate her post even under increased pressure.

The election will fill the congressional seat vacated by the retiring senator.

The police told everyone to vacate the premises.

Students must vacate their rooms at the end of the semester.

The court vacated the conviction.

Recent Examples on the Web

Then, by 2022, The Gallery at Harborplace, five floors of vendors, was ordered to vacate, including Pandora, Forever 21, Foot Locker and Bath & Body Works, representing a catastrophic loss, which should have shaken City Hall but didn’t. —Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 30 Jan. 2026

However, a man who was charged and convicted in a 2011 West Side murder, investigated by Deenihan and his partner, recently had his 51-year prison sentence vacated. —Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026

Ensure your home is securely locked when vacating the premises. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 30 Jan. 2026

Now White has a team that, in many ways, looks good enough to earn the program’s first win in the Big Dance since 2002 (later vacated by the NCAA). —Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 29 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin vacātus, past participle of vacāre "to annul," going back to Latin, "to be empty, have space" (sense probably by confusion with Medieval Latin vacuāre "to annul," going back to Latin, "to empty," derivative of vacuus "empty") — more at vacant, vacuum entry 1

First Known Use

1643, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Rhymes for vacate

• placate

Kids Definition

vacate

verb

va·​cate ˈvā-ˌkāt  vā-ˈkāt 

vacated; vacating

: to leave vacant

Legal Definition

vacate

verb

va·​cate

vacated; vacating

transitive verb

1

: to make void : annul, set aside

vacate a lower court order

2

a

: to make vacant

b

: to give up the occupancy of

intransitive verb

: to vacate an office, post, or tenancy