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
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
In the meantime, the fire department has been busy fighting several fires in the vacant buildings that have been awaiting demolition.
—
Kendrick Calfee
january 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2026
Parks, vacant land and the Des Plaines River all became giant snow depositories.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
There were burned and vacant buildings nearby; landlords had been accused of torching properties, even with tenants inside, to get insurance payouts.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Jan. 2026
São Paulo, the most populous city in the Americas, has become the symbolic epicenter of this housing struggle, if only for the cruel irony of having more vacant dwellings than unsheltered people.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vacant
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Kendrick Calfee
january 2, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2026
Parks, vacant land and the Des Plaines River all became giant snow depositories.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
There were burned and vacant buildings nearby; landlords had been accused of torching properties, even with tenants inside, to get insurance payouts.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Jan. 2026
São Paulo, the most populous city in the Americas, has become the symbolic epicenter of this housing struggle, if only for the cruel irony of having more vacant dwellings than unsheltered people.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vacant
Cite this Entry
“Vacant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacant. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
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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