1
: not occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer
a vacant office
vacant thrones
2
: being without content or occupant
a vacant seat on a bus
a vacant room
3
: free from activity or work : disengaged
vacant hours
4
: devoid of thought, reflection, or expression
a vacant smile
5
: not lived in
vacant houses
6
a
: not put to use
vacant land
b
: having no heir or claimant : abandoned
a vacant estate
vacantly
adverb
vacantness
noun
Examples of vacant in a Sentence
These lockers are all vacant.
The seat was left vacant when the secretary resigned.
He had a vacant expression on his face.
Recent Examples on the Web
After hosting pop ups at Batch and elsewhere for a couple of years, Lit offered Fulco the vacant trailer space at Batch.
—
Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
None of the 408 properties — occupied or vacant — at the center of the litigation have a certificate of compliance, according to the city's lawsuit, which also alleges hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid blight violations.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 25 July 2025
As the area was settled, Papago Park was mostly vacant.
—Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
Republicans currently have a narrow 219-212 majority in the House with four seats vacant heading into 2026.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacant
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Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025
None of the 408 properties — occupied or vacant — at the center of the litigation have a certificate of compliance, according to the city's lawsuit, which also alleges hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid blight violations.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 25 July 2025
As the area was settled, Papago Park was mostly vacant.
—Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
Republicans currently have a narrow 219-212 majority in the House with four seats vacant heading into 2026.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacant
Cite this Entry
“Vacant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacant. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vacant
adjective
va·cant
ˈvā-kənt 
1
: not filled, used, or lived in
a vacant house
2
: free from duties or care
a few vacant hours
3
: showing lack of thought
a vacant stare
vacantly
adverb
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