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Synonyms

vacant

American  
[vey-kuhnt] / ˈveɪ kənt /

adjective

  1. having no contents; empty; void.

    a vacant niche.

  2. having no occupant; unoccupied.

    no vacant seats on this train.

  3. not in use.

    a vacant room.

  4. devoid of thought or reflection.

    a vacant mind.

  5. characterized by, showing, or proceeding from lack of thought or intelligence.

    a vacant answer; a vacant expression on a face.

    Synonyms:
    inane, vacuous, blank
  6. not occupied by an incumbent, official, or the like, as a benefice or office.

  7. free from work, business, activity, etc..

    vacant hours.

  8. characterized by or proceeding from absence of occupation.

    a vacant life.

  9. devoid or destitute (often followed byof ).

    He was vacant of human sympathy.

  10. Law.

    1. having no tenant and devoid of furniture, fixtures, etc. (unoccupied ).

      a vacant house.

    2. idle or unutilized; open to any claimant, as land.

    3. without an incumbent; having no heir or claimant; abandoned.

      a vacant estate.


vacant British  
/ ˈveɪkənt /

adjective

  1. without any contents; empty

  2. devoid (of something specified)

  3. having no incumbent; unoccupied

    a vacant post

  4. having no tenant or occupant

    a vacant house

  5. characterized by or resulting from lack of thought or intelligent awareness

    a vacant stare

  6. (of time, etc) not allocated to any activity

    a vacant hour in one's day

  7. spent in idleness or inactivity

    a vacant life

  8. law (of an estate, etc) having no heir or claimant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See empty.

Other Word Forms

  • nonvacant adjective
  • nonvacantly adverb
  • unvacant adjective
  • unvacantly adverb
  • vacantly adverb
  • vacantness noun

Etymology

Origin of vacant

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, Old French, from Latin vacant- (stem of vacāns, present participle of vacāre “to be empty”); -ant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The panel will also look at the city’s handling of development, the process of filling vacant council seats and the procedure for censuring officials.

From Los Angeles Times

Or simply asked: Why did the hotel stand vacant for more than 30 years?

From The Wall Street Journal

These quiet compositions are both minimal and surreal, as the edge of a roaring fire is rendered in a delicate line, or a multicolored shrimp floats in the middle of a vacant plane.

From The Wall Street Journal

Wiatrowski said the agency has not been given permission to fill more senior roles that are vacant.

From MarketWatch

Rather than repopulating the body, he has left most seats vacant.

From The Wall Street Journal