vacate
C1Formal, Legal, Administrative, Business
Definition
Meaning
to leave a place, position, or property so that it becomes empty or available for someone else.
to cause something to be empty or no longer in effect; to formally annul or set aside a legal judgment or agreement.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term implies a formal or official departure or relinquishment. In legal contexts, it specifically refers to making a previous judgment void.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. 'Vacate' is used in both variants, but the legal sense of 'to set aside a judgment' may be slightly more common in American legal English.
Connotations
Formality is the primary connotation in both variants. The word can sound bureaucratic or legalistic in everyday contexts.
Frequency
Equally formal and mid-to-low frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[sb] vacate [sth][sth] be vacated by [sb]vacate [sth] in favour of [sb]to vacate (a post/job)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To vacate the field (to withdraw from competition or an activity).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for leaving a rented office space or a senior executive position, e.g., 'The CEO will vacate her role in December.'
Academic
Used in legal and administrative studies, e.g., 'The court's decision was later vacated on appeal.'
Everyday
Most common in formal notices, e.g., 'Tenants must vacate the apartment by noon on the 30th.'
Technical
Specific to property law (eviction) and appellate law (overturning rulings).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The lease requires you to vacate the premises by the agreed date.
- He was forced to vacate his seat on the council.
- The court of appeal vacated the earlier injunction.
American English
- You must vacate the apartment by the end of the month.
- The judge vacated the conviction due to new evidence.
- She will vacate the role of chairperson next quarter.
adverb
British English
- N/A (no standard adverb form)
American English
- N/A (no standard adverb form)
adjective
British English
- N/A (no standard adjective form)
American English
- N/A (no standard adjective form)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Please remember to vacate your hotel room before 11 am.
- The old factory was vacated years ago.
- The director agreed to vacate his position to make way for new leadership.
- If the ruling is vacated, the case will be retried.
- The ambassador was compelled to vacate the residence following the diplomatic incident.
- The appellate court vacated the lower court's summary judgment, citing procedural errors.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of VACuuming a room – you clear it out, making it empty. To VACate is to make a place empty by leaving it.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMPTINESS IS A CONTAINER BEING LEFT (The place/position is a container from which the occupant is removed).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'to vacation' (отдыхать, быть в отпуске). 'Vacate' не связано с отпуском.
- Ближайший прямой перевод по смыслу — 'освободить (помещение, должность)', а не 'покидать' в общем смысле.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I will vacate from the hotel.' Correct: 'I will vacate the hotel.' (Transitive verb, no preposition).
- Incorrect: 'They vacated the meeting.' (Too odd/formal for a temporary event). Correct: 'They left the meeting.'
Practice
Quiz
In a legal context, what does it mean if a judgment is 'vacated'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is relatively formal. In everyday situations, people more commonly say 'leave' or 'move out of'.
No, it implies a more permanent or official departure, often involving giving up rights of occupancy. You wouldn't 'vacate' a meeting room for a lunch break.
The related noun is 'vacation' in the sense of making something vacant (this is a formal/legal term, not the holiday sense), but 'vacating' is the gerund form most commonly used.
'Evacuate' implies leaving a place for reasons of safety or emergency. 'Vacate' is more neutral, focusing on the act of leaving to make something empty, often for administrative, legal, or contractual reasons.