† vacateadj.
Obsolete. rare.
As past participle: annulled, made legally void.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > rule of law > illegality > [adjective] > legally invalid or faulty > made invalid or faulty
vitiate1586
vacatec1688
c1688 Vind. Proc. H.M. Eccl. Comm. 54 The statute is Obsolete,..and must be esteemed as if it had been vacate and null.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1916; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
vacatev.
/vəˈkeɪt/, /veɪˈkeɪt/, /ˈveɪkeɪt/, U.S. /ˈveɪˌkeɪt/ 1.
a. transitive. To make void in law; to deprive of legal authority or validity; to annul or cancel.Very common in the 17–18th centuries. Now only in legal use.
ΘΚΠ
society > law > rule of law > illegality > render illegal [verb (transitive)] > deprive of legal validity
abatea1325
squatcha1325
voida1325
allayc1325
annul1395
reverse1395
revokec1400
rupt?a1425
repealc1425
abroge1427
defeat1429
purloin1461
cassa1464
toll1467
resume1472
reprove1479
suspend1488
discharge1495
reduce1498
cassate1512
defease1512
denulla1513
disannula1513
fordoa1513
avoid1514–5
abrogate?1520
frustrate1528
revert1528
disaffirm?1530
extinct1530
resolve1537
null1538
nihilate1545
extinguish1548
elidec1554
revocate1564
annullate1570
squat1577
skaila1583
irritate1605
retex1606
nullify1607
unable1611
refix1621
vitiate1627
invalid1643
vacate1643
unlaw1644
outlaw1647
invalidate1649
disenact1651
vacuate1654
supersedec1674
destroy1805
break1891
1643 W. Prynne Soveraigne Power Parl. ii. 53 The King calling a Parliament at Winchester, utterly repealed and vacated those former Ordinances.
1677 A. Marvell Let. 3 Apr. in Poems & Lett. (1971) II. 194 If any one should spend before the day of Election above ten pounds..it shall be accounted Bribery and vacate his choice.
1709 London Gaz. No. 4538/1 All Entries..shall be vacated and cancelled.
1750 T. Carte Gen. 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 A. J. Dallas Rep. Cases Pennsylvania 1 120 The court will confirm the Judgment as to one, and vacate it as to the other.
1817 W. Selwyn Abridgem. Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4) II. 1141 Such omission on the part of the officer will not vacate the contract.
a1859 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. (1861) 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. 49 133/1 I..declare the deed to be void, and that it ought to be cancelled and the registration vacated.
b. transferred. To deprive of force, efficacy, or value; to render inoperative, meaningless, or useless. Now Obsolete or rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > memory > effacement, obliteration > cancellation, revocation > annul, cancel, revoke [verb (transitive)] > make void or invalid
wanea889
voida1340
avoidc1375
abolishc1475
disnull1509
disannula1513
annihilate1525
evacuate1526
aniente1528
extinct1530
disable1548
extinguish1548
solute1550
destitutea1563
exinanitea1575
cashier1596
devoid1601
shorta1616
supersede1618
vitiate1627
invalidate1649
out1653
vacate1662
exinanitiate1698
atheticize1701
squasha1777
invalid1827
negate1837
negative1837
unsanction1854
cancel-
1662 W. Gurnall Christian in Armour: 3rd Pt. 711 The Christians Creed doth not vacate the Ten Commandments.
1698 W. Chilcot Pract. Treat. Evil Thoughts i. 8 Endeavouring to vacate the obligation of the fifth commandment.
1711 G. Hickes Two Treat. (ed. 3) I. Pref. Disc. p. cclix A Punctilio,..as such it is vacated by the universal Practice of the Church.
a1791 J. Wesley To Servants in Wks. (1811) IX. 103 The character of the master..does not vacate the duty of the servant.
1802 W. Paley Nat. Theol. i. 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.
1895 ‘M. Twain’ in N. Amer. Rev. July 3 In the ‘Deerslayer’ tale this rule is vacated.
c. To remove or withdraw (a record).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > memory > effacement, obliteration > efface, obliterate [verb (transitive)] > remove record
vacate1769
1769 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. IV. 128 Imbezzling or vacating records..is a felonious offence against public justice.
2.
a. To make or render (a post or position) vacant; to deprive of an occupant or holder.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > office > [verb (transitive)] > make an office vacant
vacate?1697
?1697 J. Lewis Mem. Duke of Glocester (1789) 80 As a Garter was vacated by the death of Lord Strafford.
1751 T. Sharp in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eminent Lit. Men (1843) (Camden) 375 Some of the Bishopricks vacated by the deprivation of the Nonjur. Bishops.
1765 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. I. 152 Suppose..that the whole royal line should at any time fail, and become extinct, which would indisputably vacate the throne.
1828 E. Bulwer-Lytton Pelham I. xxvi. 230 One of the seats in your uncle's borough..is every day expected to be vacated.
1871 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest (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.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > office > withdrawing from or vacating office > vacate (office) [verb (transitive)]
to leave up1422
depone1533
surcease1552
dimit1563
demit1567
abdicate1570
to lay downa1715
vacate1850
society > occupation and work > lack of work > [verb (transitive)] > vacate an office
vacate1850
1850 W. M. Thackeray Pendennis II. xxvii. 268 Pen graciously 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.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > office > withdrawing from or vacating office > vacate office [verb (intransitive)]
resign1395
recede1452
retirec1598
to take, lay down, resign the fascesa1625
to go out1642
to sing one's nunc dimittis1642
to make one's bowa1656
to lay down1682
to swear off1698
vacate1812
to send in one's papers1872
to step down1890
to stand down1926
society > occupation and work > lack of work > [verb (intransitive)] > vacate an office or position
vacate1812
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 C. W. Boase Registrum Collegii Exoniensis (new ed.) p. lxxix A Devonshire fellowship was given to Maurice Ley,..but Ley soon vacated.
3.
a. To leave or withdraw from (a place, seat, etc.); to quit or give up.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > relinquishing > relinquish or give up [verb (transitive)] > a position, place, or condition
roomc1400
evade1725
vacate1791
the world > space > place > absence > fact of being unoccupied > leave unoccupied [verb (transitive)]
vacate1791
void1853
disoccupy1872
1791 A. Radcliffe Romance of Forest I. iv. 136 It was most probable, that if the officers..found the abbey vacated, they would quit it before morning.
1832 G. Downes Lett. from Continental 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 E. K. Kane Arctic Explor. 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.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > relinquishing > make relinquishment [verb (intransitive)] > give up possession or occupancy
void1518
vacate1854
the mind > possession > non-possession > fact of not being possessed or owned > be without owner or occupier [verb (intransitive)] > give up possession or occupancy
void1518
vacate1854
1854 H. D. Thoreau Walden 48 I to pay four dollars and twenty-five cents to-night, he to vacate at five to-morrow morning.
1856 D. M. Mulock John Halifax I. xiv. 284 So we vacated; and all that long Sunday we sat in the parlour lately our neighbour's.
c. transitive. To make (a house) empty.
ΚΠ
1904 N.Y. Evening Post 14 May 7 His system of vacating unlivable houses is less drastic. He does not summarily turn families out.
4. intransitive.† a. To devote one's time, to give oneself up, to something. Obsolete. rare.† b. To withdraw oneself from (a task). Obsolete. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > doing > activity or occupation > be occupied or busy (in or at something) [verb (intransitive)] > devote or apply oneself to something
study1340
yield?a1366
voida1382
vacatea1706
to give of oneself1926
a1706 J. Evelyn Life Mrs. Godolphin (1939) 10 Prescribing to her selfe a constant Method of Devotion,..that she might the better Vacate to holy Duties.
a1706 J. Evelyn Hist. Relig. (1850) II. 260 There must be deacons and deaconesses,..so that the preachers may wholly vacate to the Word.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > inaction > not doing > abstaining or refraining from action > abstain or refrain from action [verb (intransitive)] > avoid > withdraw (from a task or undertaking)
vacate1665
retire1807
to pull out1884
to bow out1942
1665 G. Harvey Disc. 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.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > [verb (intransitive)] > keep or take holiday
playa1387
ferie1496
to make holiday1526
vacant1752
pleasure1827
vacate1836
vacation1896
1836 Knickerbocker 7 15 Ned and I were vacating..at his father's charming residence.
1885 Advance (Chicago) 23 July 476 One thing he [a Chinese man] can never learn, and that is how to vacate.
d. To leave or go away.
ΚΠ
1872 E. Eggleston Hoosier School-master xxxiv. 225 The Squire was a goin' to marry agin, and Marthy would ruther vacate.
1872 in A. W. Tourgée Invis. Empire (1880) v. 415 You must stop at once and vacate in 30 days.
Derivatives
vaˈcated adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > place > absence > fact of being unoccupied > [adjective]
voida1350
unoccupied1560
absent1587
devoid1590
vacant1600
naked1643
vacated1791
untrenched1887
the mind > possession > relinquishing > [adjective] > of an office or position
vacated1903
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 in J. Edwards Inq. Freedom of Will (new ed.) Introd. p. xxxix They find a deserted city and vacated palaces.
1863 J. D. 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.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1916; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.c1688
v.1643