What does "void" mean?
An empty space; a vacuum.
Void
/vɔɪd/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An empty space; a vacuum.
- Grammar: void is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: emptiness, nothingness, vacuum, abandon.
- Useful contrasts: binding agreement, blue marble, compactest.
- Usage evidence: The will was declared void by the court.
How to use "void"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "void" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "void" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "void" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "void" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "void" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "emptiness" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "void", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An empty space; a vacuum.
"Nobody has crossed the void since one man died trying three hundred years ago; it's high time we had another go."
- 2 A voidee. archaic, historical
"Late on the final evening, as the customary ‘void’ – spiced wine and sweetmeats – was served, more elaborate disguisings in the great hall culminated in the release of a flock of white doves."
- 3 an empty area or space wordnet
- 4 An extended region of space containing no galaxies.
- 5 the state of nonexistence wordnet
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 A collection of adjacent vacancies inside a crystal lattice.
- 7 A pocket of vapour inside a fluid flow, created by cavitation.
- 8 An empty space between floors or walls, including false separations and planned gaps between a building and its facade.
- 9 A black cat. Internet, endearing, humorous
"My little void is so sweet sometimes."
- 10 An empty place; a location that has nothing useful.
"From the logistics hub, the spoil will be taken by rail to Barrington in Cambridgeshire, Cliffe in Kent, and Rugby in Warwickshire. It will be used to fill voids at these locations which will then be used for housing developments."
- 11 The lack of cards in a particular suit.
- 12 A cavity or empty space caused by water erosion.
"A hidden void caused by a partially buried pipe being damaged by a tamper during routine maintenance led to the derailment of a passenger train. […] The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) reported that a "large void" was found in the embankment, but had remained hidden until the train travelled over it."
- 13 An instance of urination.
Verb
- 1 To make invalid or worthless. transitive
"Near-synonym: nullify"
- 2 excrete or discharge from the body wordnet
- 3 Synonym of empty (verb). transitive
"void one’s bladder"
- 4 take away the legal force of or render ineffective wordnet
- 5 To throw or send out; to evacuate; to emit; to discharge.
"to void excrement"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 clear (a room, house, place) of occupants or empty or clear (a place or receptacle) of something wordnet
- 7 To withdraw; to depart. intransitive, obsolete
"BY than come in to the feld kynge Ban as fyers as a lyon[…]/ Ha a said kyng Lot we must be discomfyte / for yonder I see the moste valyaunt knyght of the world / and the man of the most renoume / for suche ij bretheren as is kyng Ban & kyng bors ar not lyuynge / wherfore we must nedes voyde or deye"
- 8 declare invalid wordnet
- 9 To remove the contents of; to make or leave vacant or empty; to quit; to leave. obsolete, transitive
"to void a table"
Adjective
- 1 Containing nothing; empty; not occupied or filled. not-comparable
"Today's youth's brains are sucked void of common sense."
- 2 Having no incumbent; unoccupied; said of offices etc. not-comparable
"divers great offices that had been long void"
- 3 Being without; destitute; devoid. not-comparable, with-of
"Suppoſe they be in number infinit, Yet being voyd of Martiall diſcipline, All running headlong after greedie ſpoiles: […] Their careleſſe ſwords ſhal lanch their fellows throats And make vs triumph in their ouerthrow."
- 4 Not producing any effect; ineffectual; vain. not-comparable
"[My word] shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please."
- 5 Of no legal force or effect, incapable of confirmation or ratification. not-comparable
"null and void"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Containing no immaterial quality; destitute of mind or soul. not-comparable
"And senseless words she gave, and sounding strain, / But senseless, lifeless! idol void and vain!"
- 7 Of a function or method, that does not return a value; being a procedure rather than a function. not-comparable
"In particular, the roll method is void — it has no return value."
- 8 Having no cards in a particular suit. not-comparable
Adjective
- 1 containing nothing wordnet
- 2 lacking any legal or binding force wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"The will was declared void by the court."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "void"?
Common synonyms include: emptiness, nothingness, vacuum, abandon, abbreviate, abnegate.
How do you use "void" in a sentence?
The will was declared void by the court.
How do you pronounce "void"?
Pronounced /vɔɪd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English voide, voyde, from Old French vuit, voide, vuide (modern vide), in turn from Vulgar Latin *vocitum, ultimately from Latin vacuus.
Etymology 2
Alteration of voidee.