vacancy

noun

va·​can·​cy ˈvā-kən(t)-sē How to pronounce vacancy (audio)
plural vacancies
Synonyms of vacancynext
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 of vacancy

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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
European leaders are expected to work out a package deal to apportion the three vacancies among member countries in a complex round of political bargaining. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 The council unanimously appointed Gonzalez in January to fill the vacancy. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026 The New York Times covered Montague Street vacancies in 1986. — Lila Barth, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026 In 2023, an audit of Tennessee prisons found the department was struggling to fill open positions at the prison and had a 61% vacancy rate for correctional officers in that fiscal year. — CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vacancy

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 6

Time Traveler
The first known use of vacancy was in 1598

Browse Nearby Words

vacance
vacancy
vacancy clause
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Cite this Entry

“Vacancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vacancy. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

vacancy

noun
va·​can·​cy ˈvā-kən-sē How to pronounce vacancy (audio)
plural vacancies
1
: something (as an office or hotel room) that is vacant
2
: empty space
3
: the state of being vacant

More from Merriam-Webster on vacancy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vacancy

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