[ad. L. vacāt-, ppl. stem of vacāre to be empty, free, etc.]
1. trans. To make void in law; to deprive of legal authority or validity; to annul or cancel.
Very common in the 17–18th c. Now only in legal use.
1643. Prynne, Sov. Power Parl., II. (ed. 2), 53. The King calling a Parliament at Winchester, utterly repealed and vacated those former Ordinances.
1677. Marvell, Corr., Wks. (Grosart), II. 538. If any one should spend before the day of election above ten pound,… it shall be accounted bribery, and vacate his choice.
1709. Lond. Gaz., No. 4538/1. All Entries … shall be vacated and cancelled.
1750. Carte, Hist. Eng., II. 158. Her relations … incited him [Hen. VIII.] to remove the obstacles to his happiness, by vacating his marriage with Anne of Cleves.
1790. in Dallas, Amer. Law Rep., I. 120. The court will confirm the Judgment as to one, and vacate it as to the other.
1817. W. Selwyn, Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4), II. 1141. Such omission on the part of the officer will not vacate the contract.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xxiii. V. 35. The opposition asked leave to bring in a bill vacating all grants of Crown property which had been made since the Revolution.
1883. Law Times Rep., XLIX. 133/1. I … declare the deed to be void, and that it ought to be cancelled and the registration vacated.
b. transf. To deprive of force, efficacy, or value; to render inoperative, meaningless, or useless. Now Obs. or rare.
1655. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm. (1669), 584/1. The Christians Creed doth not vacate the Ten Commandments.
1698. W. Chilcot, Evil Thoughts, i. (1851), 4. Endeavouring to vacate the obligation of the fifth commandment.
1711. in G. Hickes, Two Treat. Chr. Priesth. (1847), I. 323. A punctilio;… as such it is vacated by the universal practice of the Church.
a. 1791. Wesley, To Servants, Wks. 1811, IX. 103. The character of the master … does not vacate the duty of the servant.
1802. Paley, Nat. Theol., I. i. § 3. 6. These superfluous parts … would not vacate the reasoning which we had instituted concerning other parts.
1827. R. Hall, Wks. (1832), VI. 414. They … inculcated the obligation of circumcision,… thereby vacating and superseding the sacrifice of Christ.
e. To remove or withdraw (a record).
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. 128. Imbezzling or vacating records … is a felonious offence against public justice.
2. To make or render (a post or position) vacant; to deprive of an occupant or holder.
1697. J. Lewis, Mem. Dk. Glocester (1789), 80. As a Garter was vacated by the death of Lord Strafford.
1751. T. Sharp, in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden), 375. Some of the Bishopricks vacated by the deprivation of the Nonjur. Bishops.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 152. Suppose … that the whole royal line should at any time fail, and become extinct, which would indisputably vacate the throne.
1828. Lytton, Pelham, I. xxv. One of the seats in your uncle’s borough … is every day expected to be vacated.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xxi. 678. Hadrian de Castello sought the death of Pope Leo in order to vacate the throne which, when it was vacated, was filled by Hadrian of Utrecht.
b. To leave (an office, position, etc.) vacant by death, resignation, or retirement; to give up, relinquish, or resign the holding or possession of.
1850. Thackeray, Pendennis, lxv. Pen … promised that he would give his election dinner there, when the Baronet should vacate his seat in the young man’s favour.
1875. M. Arnold, Ess. Crit. (ed. 3), Pref. p. x., note. When the above was written the author had still the Chair of Poetry at Oxford, which he has since vacated.
c. absol. To give up an office or position.
1812. in Examiner, 30 Nov., 763/1. As soon as the forms of the House will admit of a Member vacating, in consequence of a double return.
1894. Boase, Exeter Coll. (O.H.S.), p. lxxix. A Devonshire fellowship was given to Maurice Ley,… but Ley soon vacated.
3. To leave or withdraw from (a place, seat, etc.); to quit or give up.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, iv. It was most probable that if the officers … found the abbey vacated, they would quit before morning.
1832. G. Downes, Lett. Cont. Countries, I. 172. The English ladies … had caused their servant to insult one of the collegians … in the hope that they would vacate the premises.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., II. v. 61. I have determined … to remove him to the berth Riley has vacated.
b. absol. To give up possession or occupancy of a house, etc.
1854. Thoreau, Walden, 48. I to pay four dollars and twenty-five cents to-night, he to vacate at five to-morrow morning.
1856. Miss Mulock, J. Halifax, xiv. So we vacated; and all that long Sunday we sat in the parlour lately our neighbour’s.
4. intr. † a. To devote one’s time, to give oneself up, to something. Obs. rare.
1685. Evelyn, Mrs. Godolphin (1888), 7. Prescribeing to herselfe a constant method of devotion,… that she might the better vacate to holy dutyes. Ibid. (a. 1706), Hist. Relig. (1850), II. 260. There must be deacons and deaconesses,… so that the preachers may wholly vacate to the Word.
† b. To withdraw oneself from (a task). Obs.–1
1665. G. Harvey, Adv. agst. Plague, 1. I might justly vacate from this task, having so lately amused my self about a Tract of the French Contagion.
c. U.S. To give up work for a time; to take a holiday or vacation.
1885. Advance (Chicago), 23 July, 476. One thing he [a Chinaman] can never learn, and that is how to vacate.
Hence Vacated ppl. a.
1791. On Relig. Fashionable World, 114. It is the very genius of christianity to extirpate all selfishness, on whose vacated ground benevolence … plants itself.
1831. I. Taylor, Edwards’ Freed. Will, Prefat. Essay p. xxxix. They find a deserted city and vacated palaces.
1863. Dana, Man. Geol., 727. Leaving the rock either side of the vacated space to be pressed together.
1903. W. Bright, Age of Fathers, II. xxx. 94. The priest Eugenius … was rewarded by promotion to the vacated see.
