Adjacent Words

Vacant definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

VA'CANT, a. [L. vacans.]
1. Empty; not filled; void of every substance except air; as a vacant space between houses; vacant room.
2. Empty; exhausted of air; as a vacant receiver.
3. Free; unincumbered; unengaged with business or care.
Philosophy is the interest of those only who are vacant from the affairs of the world.
4. Not filled or occupied with an incumbent or possessor; as a vacant throne; a vacant parish.
5. Being unoccupied with business; as vacant hours; vacant moments.
6. Empty of thought; thoughtless; not occupied with study or reflection; as a vacant mind.
7. Indicating want of thought.
The duke had a pleasant and vacant face.
8. In law, abandoned; having no heir; as vacant effect or goods.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: void of thought or knowledge; "a vacant mind"
2: without an occupant or incumbent; "the throne is never vacant"

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin vacant-, vacans, present participle of vacare to be empty, be free Date: 14th century 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> Synonyms: see empty • vacantly adverb • vacantness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 not filled or occupied; empty. 2 not mentally active; showing no interest (had a vacant stare). Phrases and idioms: vacant possession Brit. ownership of a house etc. with any previous occupant having moved out. Derivatives: vacantly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF vacant or L vacare (as VACATE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Vacant Va"cant, a. [F., fr. L. vacans, -antis, p. pr. of vacare to be empty, to be free or unoccupied, to have leisure, also vocare; akin to vacuus empty, and probably to E. void. Cf. Evacuate, Void, a.] 1. Deprived of contents; not filled; empty; as, a vacant room. Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form. --Shak. Being of those virtues vacant. --Shak. There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended, But has one vacant chair. --Longfellow. 2. Unengaged with business or care; unemployed; unoccupied; disengaged; free; as, vacant hours. Religion is the interest of all; but philosophy of those . . . at leisure, and vacant from the affairs of the world. --Dr. H. More. There was not a minute of the day which he left vacant. --Bp. Fell. 3. Not filled or occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer; as, a vacant throne; a vacant parish. Special dignities which vacant lie For thy best use and wearing. --Shak. 4. Empty of thought; thoughtless; not occupied with study or reflection; as, a vacant mind. The duke had a pleasant and vacant face. --Sir H. Wotton. When on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood. --Wordsworth. 5. (Law) Abandoned; having no heir, possessor, claimant, or occupier; as, a vacant estate. --Bouvier. Vacant succession (Law), one that is claimed by no person, or where all the heirs are unknown, or where all the known heirs to it have renounced it. --Burrill. Syn: Empty; void; devoid; free; unemployed; disengaged; unincumbered; uncrowded; idle. Usage: Vacant, Empty. A thing is empty when there is nothing in it; as, an empty room, or an empty noddle. Vacant adds the idea of having been previously filled, or intended to be filled or occupied; as, a vacant seat at table; a vacant office; vacant hours. When we speak of a vacant look or a vacant mind, we imply the absence of the intelligence naturally to be expected there.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If something is vacant, it is not being used by anyone. Half way down the coach was a vacant seat... = empty ADJ: usu ADJ n 2. If a job or position is vacant, no one is doing it or in it at present, and people can apply for it. The post of chairman has been vacant for some time. ADJ 3. A vacant look or expression is one that suggests that someone does not understand something or that they are not thinking about anything in particular. She had a kind of vacant look on her face. = blank ADJ • vacantly He looked vacantly out of the window. ADV: ADV after v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Empty, void, unfilled. 2. Disengaged, unoccupied, unemployed, unencumbered, free, leisure. 3. Thoughtless, unthinking, unreflecting, unmeaning. 4. Unfilled, unoccupied, empty.

Moby Thesaurus

abandoned, absent-minded, available, bare, barren, bland, blank, blankminded, bleached, calm, characterless, clear, deadpan, deserted, devoid, dull, empty, empty-headed, empty-minded, empty-pated, empty-skulled, expressionless, extra, fatuous, featureless, fishy, forsaken, free, glassy, godforsaken, hollow, idle, impassive, inane, incogitant, inexpressive, insipid, jejune, nirvanic, null, null and void, oblivious, open, passive, poker-faced, quietistic, rattlebrained, rattleheaded, relaxed, scatterbrained, spare, stark, tenantless, thoughtfree, thoughtless, tranquil, unaware, uncomprehending, unengaged, unexpressive, unfilled, unideaed, uninhabited, unintellectual, unmanned, unoccupied, unpeopled, unpopulated, unreasoning, unrelieved, unstaffed, untaken, untenanted, untended, unthinking, unused, unutilized, vacuous, vapid, void, white, with nothing inside, without content, wooden