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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Vacant \Va"cant\, adjective [F., fr. L. vacans, -antis, p. pr. of vacare to be empty, to be free or unoccupied, to have leisure, also vocare; akin to vacuus empty, and probably to E. void. Cf. {Evacuate}, {Void}, adjective]
1. Deprived of contents; not filled; empty; as, a vacant room.
Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form. --Shak.
Being of those virtues vacant. --Shak.
There is no fireside, howsoe'er defended, But has one vacant chair. --Longfellow.
2. Unengaged with business or care; unemployed; unoccupied; disengaged; free; as, vacant hours.
Religion is the interest of all; but philosophy of those . . . at leisure, and vacant from the affairs of the world. --Dr. H. More.
There was not a minute of the day which he left vacant. --Bp. Fell.
3. Not filled or occupied by an incumbent, possessor, or officer; unoccupied; as, a vacant throne; a vacant house; a vacant apartment; a vacant parish. [1913 Webster +PJC]
Special dignities which vacant lie For thy best use and wearing. --Shak.
4. Empty of thought; thoughtless; not occupied with study or reflection; as, a vacant mind.
The duke had a pleasant and vacant face. --Sir H. Wotton.
When on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood. --Wordsworth.
5. (Law) Abandoned; having no heir, possessor, claimant, or occupier; as, a vacant estate. --Bouvier.
{Vacant succession} (Law), one that is claimed by no person, or where all the heirs are unknown, or where all the known heirs to it have renounced it. --Burrill.
Syn: Empty; void; devoid; free; unemployed; disengaged; unincumbered; uncrowded; idle.
Usage: {Vacant}, {Empty}. A thing is empty when there is nothing in it; as, an empty room, or an empty noddle. Vacant adds the idea of having been previously filled, or intended to be filled or occupied; as, a vacant seat at table; a vacant office; vacant hours. When we speak of a vacant look or a vacant mind, we imply the absence of the intelligence naturally to be expected there.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
vacant
adjective
1: void of thought or knowledge; "a vacant mind"
2: without an occupant or incumbent; "the throne is never vacant"
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
84 Moby Thesaurus words for "vacant": abandoned, absent-minded, available, bare, barren, bland, blank, blankminded, bleached, calm, characterless, clear, deadpan, deserted, devoid, dull, empty, empty-headed, empty-minded, empty-pated, empty-skulled, expressionless, extra, fatuous, featureless, fishy, forsaken, free, glassy, godforsaken, hollow, idle, impassive, inane, incogitant, inexpressive, insipid, jejune, nirvanic, null, null and void, oblivious, open, passive, poker-faced, quietistic, rattlebrained, rattleheaded, relaxed, scatterbrained, spare, stark, tenantless, thoughtfree, thoughtless, tranquil, unaware, uncomprehending, unengaged, unexpressive, unfilled, unideaed, uninhabited, unintellectual, unmanned, unoccupied, unpeopled, unpopulated, unreasoning, unrelieved, unstaffed, untaken, untenanted, untended, unthinking, unused, unutilized, vacuous, vapid, void, white, with nothing inside, without content, wooden
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