power vacuum

American  

[pou-er vak-yoom, -yoo-uhm, -yuhm] / ˈpaʊ ər ˌvæk jum, -ju əm, -jəm /

noun

1. a situation where there is a lack of leadership in a government or organization, often because an existing leader has left or been lost.

   The power vacuum left by the chairman’s sudden departure has created a bitter contest for control.

---

Etymology

Origin of power vacuum

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

power vacuum

It’s difficult to imagine that forcibly collapsing the government of a multiethnic sectarian state of nearly 100 million people produces anything more than a power vacuum.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

I spoke with my source in Isfahan and asked about the potential power vacuum.

From Slate ● Mar. 3, 2026

Mora said that "in the absence of a direct succession, a power vacuum is created that opens the door to violent realignments within the organization."

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

In their wake, American troops left behind a power vacuum that was swiftly and easily filled by the Taliban, who took control of the capital city, Kabul, in August 2021.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2025

Ho Chi Minh seized the opportunity to fill the power vacuum left by the Japanese defeat.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin