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.
As cost of living pressures persist, a growing number of people are applying to become so-called property guardians - living in vacant residential or commercial buildings to protect them from squatters, vandalism and disrepair.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Part of the problem stems from the way the law handles vacant positions in these multimember commissions.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
Graham’s death leaves South Carolina with a vacant Senate seat and removes one of the Republican Party’s most recognizable and influential voices on foreign policy after more than 30 years in Congress.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Clearwater residents and officials blame the church and its parishioners for buying properties and keeping them vacant; Scientologists say they have redevelopment in mind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
With paws outstretched, he...slowly...lifted...his...head...his eyes glazed and vacant.
From "Bunnicula" by Deborah Howe and James Howe
Definitions 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.
