vacuum

vacuum — noun

IPA/ˈvækjuːm/
KK[vˈækjum]IPA/ˈvækjuːm/
  • vacuumsingular
  • vacuumsplural

1. a volume or container in which nearly all air and other gases have been taken ou

1.nounB2
Definition

a volume or container in which nearly all air and other gases have been taken out, so that almost nothing is left inside.

Example

The lab technician created a vacuum inside the glass tube before starting the test.

collocation: create a vacuum

Food stays fresh much longer inside a vacuum-sealed bag.

collocation: vacuum-sealed bag

Common collocations
  • create a vacuum
  • in a vacuum
  • under vacuum
  • vacuum pump
  • vacuum chamber
  • vacuum-sealed
Synonyms
  • void

    more poetic or literary; suggests complete nothingness rather than a scientific space

  • emptiness

    focuses on the quality of being empty rather than the physical state

Antonyms
  • matter

    the substance that is absent from a vacuum

  • atmosphere

    the air and gases that fill normal space

Grammar Patterns

a vacuum

under vacuum

in a vacuum

Usage Note

Countable when referring to a specific enclosed space (e.g., 'a vacuum chamber'). Uncountable when referring to the concept generally (e.g., 'sound does not travel in vacuum').

Common Mistakes

Vaccume cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
'vacuum' has two 'u's and one 'c'.
In vacuum of space' (missing article).
In a vacuum' or 'in the vacuum of space
the countable form needs an article.

2. a condition where an important or necessary element is missing, which creates a

2.nounB2
Definition

a condition where an important or necessary element is missing, which creates a need or chance for it to be supplied.

Example

After the prime minister resigned, a power vacuum led to months of political instability.

collocation: power vacuum

The company felt a creative vacuum after their lead designer moved to a rival firm.

collocation: creative vacuum

Common collocations
  • power vacuum
  • leadership vacuum
  • creative vacuum
  • vacuum of information
  • fill a vacuum
  • leave a vacuum
Synonyms
  • void

    very similar in meaning; 'void' feels slightly more dramatic or formal

  • gap

    broader and less dramatic; can refer to any missing element

Antonyms
  • surplus

    an excess rather than a lack

  • abundance

    plenty of something rather than its absence

Grammar Patterns

a vacuum of [something]

power vacuum

leadership vacuum

Usage Note

Typically used in fixed phrases like 'power vacuum', 'leadership vacuum', or 'a vacuum of + abstract noun'. Often refers to political or organisational contexts.

Common Mistakes

There was a vacuum of water in the bottle.
There was a vacuum of leadership after the director left.
This sense is metaphorical, not physical.

3. a state of being completely cut off from surrounding people, events, or influenc

3.nounC1
Definition

a state of being completely cut off from surrounding people, events, or influences, especially when that separation causes problems.

Example

The committee cannot make this decision in a vacuum — they must listen to what the community thinks.

idiom: in a vacuum (isolated from context)

No business operates in a vacuum; every company is affected by the broader economy.

Common collocations
  • in a vacuum
  • exist in a vacuum
  • operate in a vacuum
  • happen in a vacuum
Synonyms
  • isolation

    direct synonym; 'vacuum' adds a sense of unnatural or problematic separation

  • bubble

    informal; suggests being cut off within a comfortable but limiting environment

Antonyms
  • context

    the surrounding circumstances that should inform decisions

  • connection

    the links to other people and events that are absent in a vacuum

Grammar Patterns

in a vacuum

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'in a vacuum' as an adverbial modifier. The phrase is nearly always used in negative or cautionary contexts ('can't do X in a vacuum').

Common Mistakes

She lived in a vacuum after the accident.' (confusing with sense 1 — physical empty space).
She felt she was operating in a vacuum, with no one to ask for advice.
This sense is about lack of connection, not lack of air.

4. an electrical household appliance that cleans floors, carpets, and upholstery by

4.nounB1
Definition

an electrical household appliance that cleans floors, carpets, and upholstery by sucking up dust and dirt.

Example

Lien plugged in the vacuum and cleaned the living room after the party.

collocation: plug in the vacuum

This vacuum has a special filter that traps pet hair and dust mites.

Common collocations
  • use the vacuum
  • plug in the vacuum
  • vacuum cleaner
  • vacuum bag
  • vacuum filter
  • hoover (UK)
Synonyms
  • vacuum cleaner

    the full, formal name for the appliance

  • hoover

    UK informal / trademark genericisation; used as both noun and verb

Grammar Patterns

the vacuum

a vacuum

use the vacuum

Usage Note

In British English, 'hoover' (from the brand name) is commonly used as a synonym for both the noun and verb. 'Vacuum cleaner' is the full, formal term.

Common Mistakes

Vaccum cleaner
Vacuum cleaner
double 'u', single 'c', double 'm'? No: v-a-c-u-u-m.
Idioms

in a vacuum

idiom

Happening without considering or being influenced by other related things or people.

Mina made her decision in a vacuum, ignoring her team's advice.

Can a company really plan its future in a vacuum without market research?

vacuum — verb

IPA/ˈvæk.juːm/
KK[vˈækjum]IPA/ˈvæk.juːm/

vacuum — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe an absence of something, but they differ in connotation and domain. Vacuum is the most technical and precise — it refers specifically to a space with little or no matter, often created artificially (a vacuum chamber). Void is more poetic and absolute, suggesting a complete emptiness that is vast and often philosophical (the void of space). Emptiness focuses on the quality of being empty rather than the physical state; it can be used both literally (the emptiness of the room) and emotionally (a feeling of emptiness). Nothingness is the most extreme and abstract, suggesting the complete absence of anything at all, including time and space. In everyday English, only vacuum is used in scientific or household contexts. For example: 'The physicist created a vacuum in the lab' sounds natural, but 'the physicist created a void' would sound overly dramatic.

vacuum ↗void ↗emptiness ↗nothingness ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Vacuum comes directly from Latin 'vacuum', the neuter form of 'vacuus', meaning 'empty' or 'unoccupied'. The Latin root 'vacare' means 'to be empty' or 'to be free'. The word entered English in the mid-16th century as a scientific term for a space devoid of matter. The metaphorical senses (a vacuum of power, in a vacuum) developed in the 19th and 20th centuries. The verb sense 'to use a vacuum cleaner' appeared around the early 20th century, following the invention of the household vacuum cleaner.