vacuity

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /væˈkjuːɪtɪ/, /vəˈkjuːɪtɪ/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /vaˈkjuːɪti/, /vəˈkjuːɪti/

Noun

vacuity (countable and uncountable, plural vacuities)

  1. Emptiness.
    • 1603, John Florio, transl.; Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in The Essayes, […], book II, printed at London: By Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], OCLC 946730821:
      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 […].
    • 1748, David Hume, Enquiry concerning Human Understanding, III.13:
      to find so sensible a breach or vacuity in the course of the passions, by means of this breach in the connexion of ideas […].
  2. Physical emptiness, an absence of matter; vacuum.
  3. Idleness; listlessness.
  4. An empty or inane remark or thing.

Translations

Further reading
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