vacant
Americanadjective
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having no contents; empty; void.
a vacant niche.
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having no occupant; unoccupied.
no vacant seats on this train.
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not in use.
a vacant room.
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devoid of thought or reflection.
a vacant mind.
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characterized by, showing, or proceeding from lack of thought or intelligence.
a vacant answer; a vacant expression on a face.
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not occupied by an incumbent, official, or the like, as a benefice or office.
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free from work, business, activity, etc..
vacant hours.
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characterized by or proceeding from absence of occupation.
a vacant life.
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devoid or destitute (often followed byof ).
He was vacant of human sympathy.
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Law.
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having no tenant and devoid of furniture, fixtures, etc. (distinguished from unoccupied).
a vacant house.
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idle or unutilized; open to any claimant, as land.
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without an incumbent; having no heir or claimant; abandoned.
a vacant estate.
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adjective
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without any contents; empty
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devoid (of something specified)
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having no incumbent; unoccupied
a vacant post
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having no tenant or occupant
a vacant house
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characterized by or resulting from lack of thought or intelligent awareness
a vacant stare
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(of time, etc) not allocated to any activity
a vacant hour in one's day
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spent in idleness or inactivity
a vacant life
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law (of an estate, etc) having no heir or claimant
Synonym Usage
See empty.
Other Word Forms
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”); see -ant
Explanation
You can use the adjective vacant to describe something that is empty — an apartment with no tenant or furniture, a job with no worker, or a person with no brainpower. Vacant has its roots in the Latin word meaning “empty” or “free.” It can mean “unoccupied,” such as that seat next to you on the train — even if you’ve put your coat there. A vacant look or stare, however, is one that shows no intelligence or the slightest spark of interest. One might find this vacant gaze in the eyes of a zombie or in the eyes of a teen who has spent the past five hours gaming.
Vocabulary lists containing vacant
Zilch, Zip, Nada: Words For Nothing
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Nobody's Home: Synonyms For "Absent"
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Seedfolks
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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.
I sometimes still get funny looks from friends if my expression goes vacant for a moment, or if I seem distracted or frowny.
From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2026
The press secretary role -- traditionally one of the administration's most visible positions -- has been vacant since Katie Zacharia left on October 16 after less than a week on the job.
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026
Foreman was working with a team removing weeds at a vacant lot near Crenshaw Boulevard and 60th Street, as part of the long-delayed Destination Crenshaw revitalization project.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
There will be no redundancies elsewehere in the civil service as a result of the hiring spree, the BBC has been told, with some jobs expected to be relocated and other vacant roles closed.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
“I think there’s a vacant apartment in my building,” Rick said.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
