vacate

[ vey-keytor, especially British, vuh-keyt, vey- ]

verb (used with object)

, va·cat·ed, va·cat·ing.

1. to give up possession or occupancy of:

   to vacate an apartment.

2. to give up or relinquish (an office, position, etc.):

   She recently vacated her position as president of the organization.

3. to render inoperative; deprive of validity; void; annul:

   to vacate a legal judgment.

4. to cause to be empty or unoccupied; make vacant:

   to vacate one's mind of worries.

verb (used without object)

, va·cat·ed, va·cat·ing.

1. to withdraw from occupancy; surrender possession:

   We will have to vacate when our lease expires.

2. to give up or leave a position, office, etc.
3. to leave; go away.

vacate

/ vəˈkeɪt /

verb

1. to cause (something) to be empty, esp by departing from or abandoning it

   to vacate a room

2. also intr to give up the tenure, possession, or occupancy of (a place, post, etc); leave or quit
3. law
   1. to cancel or rescind
   2. to make void or of no effect; annul

Derived Forms

• vaˈcatable, adjective

Other Words From

• va·cat·a·ble adjective
• pre·va·cate verb (used with object) prevacated prevacating
• re·va·cate verb (used with object) revacated revacating

Word History and Origins

Origin of vacate¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin vacātus, past participle of vacāre “to be empty”; vacuum

Example Sentences

A group of conservative House Republicans have begun discussing trying to use an obscure House procedure to try to force a vote to boot Pelosi from the speakership, known as “a motion to vacate the chair,” first reported by Politico.

From Washington Post

Family members or guests helping students move in face a separate set of restrictions, such as allowing only one guest to enter a hall and requiring them to vacate after a set time.

From Fortune

Quietly, Palantir has already vacated several of the buildings it used to fill.

From Fortune

It was purchased to house city employees after Sempra vacated it.

From Voice of San Diego

In January, employees were forced to vacate for asbestos violations.

From Voice of San Diego

There is wide consensus among attorneys that adoptive parents can vacate an adoption if acts of fraud were committed.

From The Daily Beast

Despite her attempt to vacate the valley and dismantle all its comforts, in the public mind she remains firmly rooted there.

From The Daily Beast

Were Donetsk separatists now going to give up their weapons and vacate the occupied buildings?

From The Daily Beast

Prabhakar is politely being asked to vacate his city and his home.

From The Daily Beast

For their part, the revolutionaries say they are not going to vacate any more buildings.

From The Daily Beast

At the latter date all artists were obliged to vacate the Sorbonne ateliers to make room for some new department of instruction.

From Project Gutenberg

The Duke, however, was of opinion that Mr. Grey should not vacate his seat till the day of his going was at any rate fixed.

From Project Gutenberg

The home which they vacate by chance they may re-enter and even re-occupy, but never the home which they are forced to leave.

From Project Gutenberg

It was decided to vacate the house in Tedworth Square and go to Switzerland for the summer.

From Project Gutenberg

It is not the dead who vacate the premises in favour of the living, but the latter accommodate themselves to the dead.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abandon
• annul
• depart
• dissolve
• empty
• evacuate
• give up
• move out
• quash
• quit
• relinquish
• renounce
• rescind
• reverse
• revoke
• void
• withdraw