Past tense of vacate; to leave or give up occupancy of a place or position. To make empty or void, especially legally.
From Latin 'vacare' meaning to be empty or free. 'Vacatus' was past participle. Legal sense of nullifying developed from basic meaning of making empty. English adoption in 17th century through legal terminology.
The word connects to our modern 'vacation' - originally meaning a time when courts and schools were vacated or empty. Legal documents still use 'vacated' for overturned decisions, maintaining the metaphor of emptying something of its previous content or authority.
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