vacant

adjective

va·​cant ˈvā-kənt How to pronounce vacant (audio)
1
: not occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer
a vacant office
vacant thrones
2
: being without content or occupant
a vacant seat on a bus
a vacant room
3
: free from activity or work : disengaged
vacant hours
4
: devoid of thought, reflection, or expression
a vacant smile
5
: not lived in
vacant houses
6
a
: not put to use
vacant land
b
: having no heir or claimant : abandoned
a vacant estate
vacantly adverb
vacantness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for vacant

empty, vacant, blank, void, vacuous mean lacking contents which could or should be present.

empty suggests a complete absence of contents.

an empty bucket

vacant suggests an absence of appropriate contents or occupants.

a vacant apartment

blank stresses the absence of any significant, relieving, or intelligible features on a surface.

a blank wall

void suggests absolute emptiness as far as the mind or senses can determine.

a statement void of meaning

vacuous suggests the emptiness of a vacuum and especially the lack of intelligence or significance.

a vacuous facial expression

Examples of vacant in a Sentence

These lockers are all vacant. The seat was left vacant when the secretary resigned. He had a vacant expression on his face.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In her next fight, Shevchenko faced ex-women’s strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the vacant flyweight title. Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025 And several blocks of tunnel below Chinatown, dug half a century ago for the Second Avenue subway, remain a vacant, unseen taunt. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025 The vacant lots where the houses were to go are still vacant and littered with trash and tires. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2025 The village recently approved a tax increment financing district that takes in property along the Halsted Street commercial corridor and includes the vacant Walmart property. Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vacant

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vacaunt, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin vacant-, vacans, present participle of vacāre "to be empty or unoccupied, have space, be free,"; perhaps akin to Hittite wakkāari "lacks," wakšyi- "be lacking"

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vacant was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vacant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacant. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

vacant

adjective
va·​cant ˈvā-kənt How to pronounce vacant (audio)
1
: not filled, used, or lived in
a vacant house
2
: free from duties or care
a few vacant hours
3
: showing lack of thought
a vacant stare
vacantly adverb

Legal Definition

vacant

adjective
va·​cant
1
: not filled or occupied
2
a
: not put to use
vacant land
b
: having no heir or claimant
a vacant estate

More from Merriam-Webster on vacant

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