What does vacate mean?
Vacate is a formal verb meaning to leave or give up a place, seat, position, office, or property so that it becomes empty or available to someone else. It is often used when a person must move from a building or relinquish an official role: a tenant may vacate an apartment, a representative may vacate a seat, and a departing executive may vacate an office. The word can focus on the departing occupant’s action, on giving up possession, or on making the resulting space available. Its tone is generally neutral, though in legal notices it may sound firm or official. Unlike abandon, vacate does not necessarily suggest that something is left behind permanently or in poor condition. Because the word derives from the Latin idea of emptiness, it retains a clear implication that the place or position is to be left unoccupied. Vacate is related in origin to words such as vacant, vacancy, vacuous, and vacuum.
verbTo leave or give up possession of a place, seat, position, or property, making it empty or available for someone else.
- To leave or relinquish possession of a place, property, seat, or position.
- To make a place or space vacant and available by removing its occupants or contents.
"The tenants vacated the apartment, leaving it ready for the new occupants."
"Please vacate the premises immediately."
"Her resignation vacated the position, allowing the organization to appoint a successor."
Vacate means to leave—but also to leave the room, chair, or office empty for the next person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does vacate come from?
Vacate comes from Latin vacāre, meaning “to be empty, free, or unoccupied,” a verb associated with vacuus, “empty.” English borrowed the word in the early 16th century for both leaving a place and making it empty. Its relatives include vacant, vacancy, vacuous, vacuity, and vacuum, all developed from the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How vacate is actually used
Vacate is a formal word common in legal, administrative, property, and workplace contexts. It is more neutral than abandon and usually implies that the person, thing, or space involved will become available to another person.
Easily confused with vacate
To vacate a place is simply to leave it or make it available, whereas to evacuate a place usually means to move people out of it because of danger or an emergency.