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

The state Constitution empowers the New York City mayor to appoint judges to the city’s Criminal and Family Courts for 10-year terms, and to fill interim vacancies on Civil Court. — Christian Browne, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026

City officials quietly acknowledged Rader’s resignation in a brief statement posted to the city website, saying that Rader had submitted her resignation and that the City Council would appoint someone to fill the vacancy until the next election. — Nathan Pilling july 17, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026

Application submitted to the 15th Judicial Circuit JNC for vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Laura Johnson; July 2023; my name was certified to the Governor’s Office for consideration. — Schnelle Tonge, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026

The latest comments echoed Beshear’s calls for transparency and discussion on filling a Senate vacancy in a July 12 appearance on MS NOW’s PoliticsNation, minutes before McConnell released an update. — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 July 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