vacant

[vey-kuh nt] /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.
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 by of):
He was vacant of human sympathy.
10.
Law.
  1. having no tenant and devoid of furniture, fixtures, etc. (distinguished from 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.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English < Latin vacant- (stem of vacāns, present participle of vacāre to be empty); see -ant
Related forms
vacantly, adverb
vacantness, noun
nonvacant, adjective
nonvacantly, adverb
unvacant, adjective
unvacantly, adverb
Can be confused
vacant, vacuous, vapid.
Synonyms
1, 2. See empty. 5. blank, vacuous, inane.
Examples from the web for vacant
  • In the meantime, he's happy to leave the spot vacant.
  • It sat vacant and boarded up, used only as a home for wayward pigeons.
  • But vacant streets are a heart-wrenching commonplace in many little towns.
  • If you are concerned about trees, go plant some volunteer locally to plant trees in vacant lots or wood lots.
  • Entry-level houses may be lying vacant while high-end homes are being snatched up by eager buyers.
  • If homeowners abandon the houses they cannot repair and buildings are sitting vacant, crime might increase.
  • It is absence-desolate streets, vacant towns-that chills the blood.
  • Technology companies struggle to fill vacant positions.
  • When it became vacant, none of the faculty wanted it because it did not have a window.
  • Adults can survive up to a year without blood, allowing infestations to persist through periods when properties are vacant.
British Dictionary definitions for vacant

vacant

/ˈveɪkənt/
adjective
1.
without any contents; empty
2.
(postpositive) foll by of. 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
Derived Forms
vacantly, adverb
vacantness, noun
Word Origin
C13: from Latin vacāre to be empty
Word Origin and History for vacant
adj.

late 13c., from Old French vacant, from Latin vacantem (nominative vacans), present participle of vacare "to be empty" (see vain). Related: Vacantly.