Vacancy
/ˈveɪ.kən.si/noun
The state of being empty, unoccupied, or available.
Did you know?In Latin, *vacāre* didn’t just mean “to be empty” — it also meant “to be free,” which is why *vacation* and *vacant* share a root with emptiness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weǵ-
“to be empty, be free, lack”
Latin
Latin
vacāre
“to be empty, be unoccupied; to be free, at leisure”
Late Latin
Latin
vacantia
“a being empty or unoccupied state”
Middle French
Old French
vacance
“vacancy, emptiness; later also a holiday period”
14th–15th Century
English
vacancy
“the state of being empty or unoccupied”
Modern English
English
vacancy
“an unoccupied place, position, or opening”