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.

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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

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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”; cf. vacuum

Explanation

If someone asks you to vacate the room, you'd better pack up your things and go. When you vacate something, you leave it behind, usually empty. When you stay at a hotel, you're required to vacate the room at check-out time. The same goes for the last day of your lease on your apartment or after closing on the sale of your house. In all of these cases, you've got to get going and take all of your stuff with you. The verb vacate can also be used in conjunction with leaving a job, often an appointed office.

Example Sentences

That included the Serena hotel, which hosted the last round of negotiations and where guests had been asked to vacate the premises in recent days.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Just days before the defendants’ deadline to file their opening brief with the federal appeals court, the DOJ filed the motion to vacate the convictions altogether.

From Salon • Apr. 15, 2026

It was previously revealed that the Hollywood star turned athlete was issued notice by his landlord on Dec. 18, 2025, informing him that he had three days to either pay rent or vacate the premises.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

In January, a court found that they had defaulted on the rent payments and they have been given weeks to vacate the house.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

He accompanies her to car 48 and makes August vacate while she goes inside.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

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