Standard Lemma guide

vacancy

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈveɪkənsi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ˈvæɪkənsi/
  • CMU ARPABET: V EY1 K AH0 N S IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An unoccupied position or job.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An available room in a hotel; guest house, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Empty space.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vacantness, vacuum, vacuity

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A blank mind, unoccupied with thought.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vacantness, vacuity, vacuousness

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Lack of intelligence or understanding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A defect in a crystal caused by the absence of an atom in a lattice

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

an empty area or space

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the huge desert voids
  • the emptiness of outer space
  • without their support he'll be ruling in a vacuum

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: void, emptiness, vacuum

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: space

8

noun

Meaning 8

being unoccupied

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: emptiness

History

Etymology

From Late Latin vacantia. Doublet of vacance.

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: شَاغِر (šāḡir) — unoccupied position
  • Arabic: وَظِيفَة شَاغِرَة (waẓīfa šāḡira) — unoccupied position
  • Arabic: شَاغِر وَظِيفِيّ (šāḡir waẓīfiyy) — unoccupied position
  • Belarusian: вака́нсія (vakánsija) — unoccupied position
  • Bulgarian: свобо́дно мя́сто (svobódno mjásto) — unoccupied position
  • Chinese Mandarin: 空缺 (kōngquē) — unoccupied position
  • Chinese Mandarin: 空職 /空职 (kōngzhí) — unoccupied position
  • Chinese Mandarin: 空額 /空额 (kòng'é) — unoccupied position
  • Czech: volné místo — unoccupied position
  • Dutch: vacature — unoccupied position
  • Finnish: vakanssi — unoccupied position
  • Finnish: avoin virka — unoccupied position
  • Georgian: ვაკანსია (vaḳansia) — unoccupied position
  • German: Vakanz — unoccupied position
  • German: freie Stelle — unoccupied position
  • Italian: posto vacante — unoccupied position
  • Italian: posizione vacante — unoccupied position
  • Japanese: 欠員 (ketsuin) — unoccupied position
  • Korean: 결원 (gyeorwon) — unoccupied position
  • Norman: vacanche — unoccupied position
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ledig stilling — unoccupied position
  • Polish: wakat — unoccupied position
  • Portuguese: vaga — unoccupied position
  • Russian: вака́нсия (vakánsija) — unoccupied position
  • Spanish: vacancia — unoccupied position
  • Spanish: vacante — unoccupied position
  • Spanish: vacatura — unoccupied position
  • Ukrainian: вака́нсія (vakánsija) — unoccupied position
  • Zulu: isikhala — unoccupied position
  • Arabic: غُرْفَة شَاغِرَة — available room
  • Bulgarian: свобо́дна ста́я (svobódna stája) — available room
  • Chinese Mandarin: 空位 (kòngwèi, kōngwèi) — available room
  • Finnish: vapaa huone — available room
  • French: chambre libre — available room
  • Georgian: თავისუფალი ნომერი (tavisupali nomeri) — available room
  • German: freies Zimmer — available room
  • Japanese: 空き部屋 (akibeya) — available room
  • Korean: 빈방 (binbang) — available room
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ledig rom — available room
  • Portuguese: vaga — available room
  • Russian: свобо́дный но́мер (svobódnyj nómer) — available room
  • Spanish: vacancia — available room
  • Swedish: ledig plats — available room
  • Arabic: حَيِّز (ḥayyiz) — empty space
  • Bulgarian: празнина́ (prazniná) — empty space
  • Finnish: vapaa paikka — empty space
  • Georgian: სიცარიელე (sicariele) — empty space
  • Georgian: ცარიელი სივრცე (carieli sivrce) — empty space
  • German: freier Platz — empty space
  • Occitan: espaci vuèg — empty space
  • Occitan: espaci — empty space
  • Russian: свобо́дное ме́сто (svobódnoje mésto) — empty space
  • Spanish: vacancia — empty space
  • Spanish: casal — empty space
  • Bulgarian: вака́нция (vakáncija) — a defect in a crystal
  • German: Leerstelle — a defect in a crystal
Real reading context

vacancy in complete knowledge articles