vacancy

noun

va·​can·​cy ˈvā-kən(t)-sē 

plural vacancies

1

: a vacant office, post, or tenancy

2

a

: a vacating of an office, post, or piece of property

b

: the time such office or property is vacant

3

: physical or mental inactivity or relaxation : idleness

4

: empty space : void

specifically : an unoccupied site for an atom or ion in a crystal

5

: the state of being vacant : vacuity

6

archaic : an interval of leisure

Synonyms

• black hole
• blank
• blankness
• emptiness
• vacuity
• void

Examples of vacancy in a Sentence

School administrators are trying to fill vacancies before the beginning of the school year.

There were no vacancies at the hotel.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Celtics have one vacancy on their 15-man roster, and Peterson is a candidate to have his contract converted into a permanent spot. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 14 Feb. 2025

While Charlotte, like other cities, struggles with alarming vacancies of old office buildings, Scacco says demand is growing for high-end spaces as dwindling options fill up. —Alexandria Sands, Axios, 13 Feb. 2025

City officials said the current interim solutions have had 5% vacancy over the past 18 months. —Devan Patel, The Mercury News, 13 Feb. 2025

Inspector general vacancies after Trump firings draw questions about agency oversight Trump attempted to fire 17 inspectors general during his first week in office, sending a two-sentence email to each of the independent watchdogs. —Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

vac(ant) + -ancy, in part after Medieval Latin vacantia

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 6

Kids Definition

vacancy

noun

va·​can·​cy ˈvā-kən-sē 

plural vacancies

1

: something (as an office or hotel room) that is vacant

2

: empty space

3

: the state of being vacant