vacant Hear it!

vacant Definition

va·cant (kənt)

adjective

  1. having nothing in it, as a space; devoid of contents; empty; void
  2. not held, filled, or occupied, as a position or office
  3. having no occupant a vacant seat
  4. untenanted, as a room or house
  5. not filled with activity or work; free; leisure vacant time
    1. having or showing emptiness of mind or lack of intelligence, interest, thought, etc.
    2. empty of thought: said of the mind
  6. Law
    1. unoccupied or unused, as land
    2. having no claimant, as an estate or succession
    3. not yet granted, as public lands

Etymology: OFr < L vacans, prp. of vacare, to be empty

vacant Related Forms
va·cantly adverb va·cant·ness noun
vacant Synonyms

vacant

modif.

  1. Without contents

    devoid, void, unfilled; see empty 1.

  2. Without an occupant

    unoccupied, untenanted, tenantless, uninhabited, idle, free, deserted, abandoned, without a resident, not lived in.

    Antonyms inhabited*, occupied*, tenanted.

  3. Without evidence of intelligence

    unintelligent, vacuous, empty-headed, foolish, giddy, inane, stupid, silly, witless, thoughtless.

    Antonyms intelligent*, witty*, understanding. See syn. study at empty.empty.

vacant Usage Examples

Preposition: for

  • month: The post had been vacant for many months, despite Bexley Council's efforts to recruit a suitable person.
  • period: There may be situations when a training placement is vacant for a period of time.

Modifying Another Word

  • temporarily: The topic is the positive use of temporarily vacant land.
  • currently: The SLT post who should support him is currently vacant.
  • largely: Beyond this is a largely vacant area, once presumably covered by sidings.
  • pretty: The area's pretty vacant, except for this building here.
  • now: Filling the now vacant social secretary slot ( come back Suzi all is forgiven!

Preposition: by

  • death: Rachael fills the honorary role left vacant by the death of Jack Harris last January.

Modifies a noun

  • possession: Land with vacant possession is likely to be more valuable.
  • stare: And I'm sure, beneath the vacant stare, he's a lovely man.
  • pastorate: Interim moderators, as the representatives of New Synods to vacant pastorates, also have a part to play in brokering settlements.
  • dwelling: There is potential for at least 6,000 currently vacant dwellings being used to meet some of the future housing needs.
  • plot: Subject to the priority policy the person who has been longest on the waiting list will be offered the next vacant plot.
  • throne: Elsewhere on the Continent, William Duke of Normandy also thought he had a good claim to the vacant throne.

Used with adjective complement

  • fall: The external advisor's post, which is funded by the Computer Board, fell vacant in November 1986.
  • declare: He was assoilzied, but the church was declared vacant by the Bishop.
  • become: Posts, which become vacant, will be lost rather than jobs.
  • remain: The minister in 1900 went in with the Union and the congregation remained vacant until 1922.
  • lie: November 1990: The house is reported to have lain vacant for many years.
  • leave: Rachael fills the honorary role left vacant by the death of Jack Harris last January.
vacant Quotes

O dark dark dark. Theyall go into the dark, The vacant interstellar spaces, the vacant into the vacant.

—Eliot,T(homas) S(tearns)

Browse dictionary entries near vacant

  1. vacancy
  2. vac
  3. Vaal
  4. VA mortgage
  5. VA
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  7. V sign
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  9. V.S.O.P.
  10. V.S.O.
  1. vacate
  2. vacation
  3. vacationer
  4. vacationist
  5. vacationland
  6. Vacaville
  7. vaccinal
  8. vaccinate
  9. vaccinated
  10. vaccination