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
Those transactions are still shaking out, while some of the propoertis have gone vacant and have lost access to utilities.
—
Mars King, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
While one of her first moves — pushing specialized teachers into vacant classroom teaching jobs — angered the teachers' union, the new bonus for retirees was an idea that came from the union president, Ingrid Walker-Henry.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Rosen Gonzalez has highlighted the Lincoln Road outdoor shopping mall in South Beach, which has struggled with vacant storefronts as a renovation of the area gets underway.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
The current major storylines, such as the implosion of The Vision and the scramble for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, are examples of the layered narratives that AI has historically struggled to comprehend.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vacant
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Mars King, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
While one of her first moves — pushing specialized teachers into vacant classroom teaching jobs — angered the teachers' union, the new bonus for retirees was an idea that came from the union president, Ingrid Walker-Henry.
—Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Rosen Gonzalez has highlighted the Lincoln Road outdoor shopping mall in South Beach, which has struggled with vacant storefronts as a renovation of the area gets underway.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
The current major storylines, such as the implosion of The Vision and the scramble for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, are examples of the layered narratives that AI has historically struggled to comprehend.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 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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