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

• abate
• abolish
• abrogate
• annul
• avoid
• cancel
• disannul
• dissolve
• invalidate
• negate
• null
• nullify
• quash
• repeal
• rescind
• roll back
• strike down
• void

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

Florida's 6th District was vacated when National Security Adviser Mike Waltz joined Mr. Trump's Cabinet, and the 1st District was held by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned to join the Trump administration as Attorney General. —CBS News, 31 Mar. 2025

The administration has also requested that the U.S. Supreme Court vacate Boasberg's orders. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025

The project also proposes to vacate an unused sewer easement. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025

Those rules were vacated late last year following a 9-8 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. —Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 27 Mar. 2025

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