Vacates

Vacates is the third-person singular present tense of the verb vacate, meaning to leave a place or to render something empty by removing occupants. In everyday language, it is used when someone departs from a location or when a space is emptied. The word can also appear in more formal contexts, where it may refer to actions that remove or withdraw an occupancy, such as vacating a building or vacating a seat.

Etymology and sense development: vacate comes from Latin vacare, meaning to be empty. Over time, the term acquired varied applications, from mundane departures to official actions that make a previous arrangement or designation no longer in effect.

Legal and official usage: in law, to vacate can mean to annul or overturn a prior decision, order, or judgment—commonly phrased as “to vacate a judgment.” A court may issue a vacating order to nullify a ruling or to wipe it from record. The phrase is also used for terminating or withdrawing occupancy rights, such as vacating a lease, contract, or sublease, or issuing a vacate order for a structure due to safety concerns.

Real estate and occupancy contexts: in rental and property management, tenants vacate the premises when they move out, leaving the property unoccupied. Landlords and property managers often require tenants to vacate by a specified date, after which the space may be prepared for re-rental.

Grammatical note: vacates is used with a singular subject (for example, “The tenant vacates the apartment.”). The related forms include vacate (base form), vacated (past tense), and vacating (present participle). Related legal term: vacatur, referring to judicial annulment or revocation.