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

Downtown Los Angeles struggles with retail vacancy as high as 40% after the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting major brands like Nike to abandon their storefronts. —Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026

Bowie at the time defended her proposal, noting the city over the years has forgiven library fines, individual building vacancy fines, loans that were directed to certain affordable housing projects and other uncollected debts. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 16 Mar. 2026

The appointments fill three public member vacancies on the panel, which also includes representatives from Southwestern College, UC San Diego, San Diego State University, Sweetwater Union High School District, and offices of the Assembly speaker and Senate pro tem. —Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026

The report included annual updates to the vacancies figures, which were marked down for most of 2025. —Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 14 Mar. 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