vacuity

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UK/væˈkjuːɪtɪ/UK/vəˈkjuːɪtɪ/UK/vaˈkjuːɪti/UK/vəˈkjuːɪti/

noun

Emptiness.

UncommonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounvacuity (countable and uncountable, plural vacuities)

plural vacuities · alternative vacuitie

  1. countableuncountableEmptiness.

    to find so sensible a breach or vacuity in the course of the passions, by means of this breach in the connexion of ideas[…].

    1748, [David Hume], chapter III, in Philosophical Essays Concerning Human Understanding, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 13
    3 more examples

    The meanes I use to suppresse this frenzy, and which seemeth the fittest for my purpose, is to crush, and trample this humane pride and fiercenesse under foot, to make them feele the emptinesse, vacuitie, and no worth of man[…].

    1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC

    The Baronet was not more animated than ordinarily—there was a happy vacuity about him which enabled him to face a dinner, a death, a church, a marriage, with the same indifferent ease.

    1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 23, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC

    At first glance, Saltburn is classic clash-of-the-classes fare: a tale of social strata, moral vacuity and the seductions of wealth, with a poor boy ushered into his rich friend's kingdom.

    2023 November 13, Rosalind Jana, “Saltburn and the bizarre life of Britain's stately homes”, in BBC
  2. countableuncountablePhysical emptiness, an absence of matter.

    Synonyms: vacuum, vacancy, vacantness

  3. countableuncountableIdleness; listlessness.
  4. countableuncountableAn empty or inane remark or thing.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounPhysical emptiness, an absence of matter.

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe absence of matter

Similar
Broader

nouna region that is devoid of matter

Similar
Broader

nountotal lack of meaning or ideas

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinvacuitās“empty space, vacancy, vacuity”
  2. Englishvacuity

From Latin vacuitās (“empty space, vacancy, vacuity”); equivalent to vacu(ous) + -ity.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic فَرَاغ, فَرَاغ
  • فَرَاغ (farāḡ)emptiness
  • فَرَاغ (farāḡ)vacuum
  • حَيِّز (ḥayyiz)vacuum
Bulgarian празнота, празнота
  • празнота (praznota)emptiness
  • празнота (praznota)vacuum
  • вакуум (vakuum)vacuum
French vacuité, vacuité
  • vacuitéemptiness
  • vacuitévacuum
Greek κενότητα, κενό
  • κενότητα (kenótita)emptiness
  • κενό (kenó)vacuum
Irish foilmhe
  • foilmheemptiness
Italian vacuità
  • vacuitàemptiness
Japanese 空, 空
  • 空 (kara)emptiness
  • 空 (kara)vacuum
Portuguese vacuidade, vácuo
  • vacuidadeemptiness
  • vácuovacuum
  • inatividadeidleness
  • vacuidadea pointless or inane remark
Spanish vacuidad, vacuo
  • vacuidademptiness
  • vacuovacuum
Cite this entry
APA

vacuity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vacuity

MLA

“vacuity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vacuity. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vacuity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vacuity.

Source: vacuity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.