vacancy

vacancy — noun

1. a room, seat, parking spot, or other area that is not currently in use and can b

1.nounB1
Definition

a room, seat, parking spot, or other area that is not currently in use and can be used by someone

Example

The hotel had a 'No Vacancy' sign hanging by the front door when we arrived.

fixed phrase: 'No Vacancy' sign

Takeshi parked in the only vacancy left on the third floor of the garage.

collocation: parking vacancy

Common collocations
  • no vacancy
  • room vacancy
  • parking vacancy
  • seat vacancy
  • vacancy sign
Synonyms
  • space

    more general term for any empty area, not necessarily available for use

  • opening

    emphasises a gap that can be filled, common for seats and positions

  • spot

    informal, often used for parking or seating

Antonyms
  • occupancy

    the state of being occupied or filled

  • fullness

    the state of having no space left

Grammar Patterns

[number] + vacancy/vacancies

no vacancy

a vacancy in/at [place]

Usage Note

The fixed phrase 'No Vacancy' is commonly seen on signs outside hotels, motels, and parking lots when all spaces are occupied. In British English, 'vacancy' often refers specifically to available hotel rooms.

Common Mistakes

The hotel had no vacation.
The hotel had no vacancy.
'vacation' means a holiday or time off; 'vacancy' means an available room or space.
There is a vacancy for two people at the table.
There are vacancies for two people at the table.
use the plural when referring to multiple available spots.

2. a paid position in a company or organization that nobody is currently doing, so

2.nounB1
Definition

a paid position in a company or organization that nobody is currently doing, so the employer is looking for someone to hire

Example

The company posted a vacancy for a junior software engineer on its website.

collocation: post a vacancy

Christopher applied for three teaching vacancies at local high schools near his home.

Common collocations
  • fill a vacancy
  • post a vacancy
  • advertise a vacancy
  • job vacancy
  • vacancy notice
Synonyms
  • opening

    less formal; more common in spoken English and everyday job ads

  • position

    more formal, emphasising the role within an organisational structure

  • post

    formal, especially in government, academic, or military contexts

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

a vacancy for [job title]

fill a vacancy

post/advertise a vacancy

Usage Note

Commonly paired with the verbs 'fill' (to hire someone for the role) and 'advertise' or 'post' (to list the job publicly). The preposition 'for' introduces the specific role: 'a vacancy for a cleaner.'

Common Mistakes

I applied for a vacancy in the hospital.
I applied for a vacancy at the hospital.
use 'at' for the organisation or location, not 'in.'
The vacancy is empty.
The vacancy is open' or 'The position is unfilled.
'vacancy' already means something empty, so saying 'empty vacancy' is redundant.

3. the condition of being empty and not occupied — for example, when a hotel room h

3.nounB2
Definition

the condition of being empty and not occupied — for example, when a hotel room has no guests, an apartment has no tenants, or a job has no employee working in it

Example

The apartment remained in a state of vacancy for nearly six months after the tenants left.

collocation: state of vacancy

During the vacancy of the office, the furniture was covered with white sheets.

Common collocations
  • state of vacancy
  • period of vacancy
  • long vacancy
  • vacancy rate
Synonyms
  • emptiness

    emphasises the physical quality of being empty; less formal

  • vacuity

    formal and often figurative; less common in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • occupancy

    the state of being lived in or used

  • tenancy

    specifically the state of renting a property

Grammar Patterns

in/into/out of vacancy

a state of vacancy

a period of vacancy

Usage Note

This uncountable sense is more formal and abstract than senses 1 and 2. It is common in legal and property contexts to describe a period during which no one occupies a space or role. Distinguish from sense 1 (a concrete available room/seat) and sense 2 (a concrete available job).

Common Mistakes

There is a vacancy for three months.' (meaning the period)
There has been a vacancy period of three months.
for the temporal sense, add 'period' to make the meaning clear.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

These three words all refer to an available job but differ in formality and context. 'Opening' is the most general and informal term — you see it in everyday conversation and online job boards: 'They have an opening in the sales department.' 'Position' is more formal and suggests a specific role within a company's structure, making it common in official job titles and application forms: 'She applied for a senior research position at the university.' 'Post' is the most formal of the three, used mainly for government, academic, diplomatic, or military roles: 'The diplomatic post in Geneva has been vacant for months.' In practice, use 'opening' for casual job talk, 'position' for formal applications and job descriptions, and 'post' for institutional or official roles.

opening ↗position ↗post ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • there is a vacancy
  • there are vacancies
  • leave a vacancy
  • create a vacancy

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Vacancy' entered English in the late 14th century from Old French 'vacance' (meaning an empty space or vacant position). The French word came from Latin 'vacantia' (emptiness, vacancy), which derived from the verb 'vacāre' (to be empty, to be free). The meaning of an unoccupied job or position appeared in the early 1500s. The familiar hotel sign 'No Vacancy' became common in the early 1900s with the growth of automobile travel and roadside motels.