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Synonyms

vacate

American  
[vey-keyt, vuh-keyt, vey-] / ˈveɪ keɪt, vəˈkeɪt, veɪ- /

verb (used with object)

vacated, vacating
  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)

vacated, vacating
  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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • prevacate verb (used with object)
  • revacate verb (used with object)
  • vacatable adjective

Etymology

Origin of vacate

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 2018, MPs narrowly accepted the principle of fully vacating the building.

From BBC

“The purchase of food and beverage is necessary to rent that space. Once the transaction is complete, you vacate the space to allow another person to rent it.”

From The Wall Street Journal

If my brother is living in the house, would he need to vacate the property and, if so, how soon?

From MarketWatch

The high court’s decision vacated hundreds of dollars of administrative fees that Hernandez faced and sent the $10,000 restitution fine to the lower court for reconsideration.

From Los Angeles Times

According to the agreement, Hezbollah was required to pull its forces north of the Litani River and have its military infrastructure in the vacated area dismantled.

From Barron's