vacuus
[ˈwa.ku.ʊs]
To say empty in Latin, meaning devoid of content, use vacuus. If unsure, use vacuus. Wiktionary also lists inanis and cassus.
Meaning: devoid of content (adj)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA |
|---|---|
| vacuus | [ˈwa.ku.ʊs] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈvaː.ku.us] (narrow) |
| inanis | [ɪˈnaː.nɪs] (Classical Latin, narrow) [iˈnaː.nis] (narrow) |
| cassus | [ˈkas.sʊs] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈkas.sus] (narrow) |
vacuus is the most common term for a container or space that is physically empty, such as a cup, a bag or a wallet.
Which one should you use?
inanis means void, hollow or meaningless and is often used for abstract ideas, such as an empty promise or a hollow feeling. cassus usually means lacking or bereft of something, such as being empty of hope.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
vacuus is an adjective and changes its ending to agree with the noun it describes, as in pōculum vacuum for an empty cup. The verb to make empty is vacuō.
Did you know?
- The term cassus shares a root with castus, which means 'pure'. In this context, 'purity' is viewed as being 'empty' of impurities.
- In Latin legal and formal contexts, being vacuus could describe a public office that had no current occupant, similar to the English phrase 'vacant position'.
- While vacuus describes a physical void, the word inanis was used by Roman philosophers to describe the nature of the universe and the 'void' of space.
Examples in context
- Fēmina dīxit pōculum vacuum esse.The woman said that the cup was empty.vacuum agrees with the neuter noun pōculum, giving an empty cup.
- Saccus meus vacuus est.My bag is empty.vacuus agrees with the masculine noun saccus, giving my bag is empty.Tatoeba #1303732 by alexmarcelo, translation #689919 by ulyssemc1
- Sacculus eius vacuus est.His wallet is empty.Sacculus is a small bag or purse, here used for a wallet that is vacuus.Tatoeba #3640738 by soweli_Elepanto, translation #8735777 by deniko
- testamentum vacuumEmpty will
- Praesentia vanaEmpty presence
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Gaius are looking at a storage jar.
- JuliaEstne dōlum plēnum?Is the jar full?
- GaiusMinimē, dōlum vacuus est.Not at all, the jar is empty.
- JuliaUbi est mēlum?Where is the apple?
- GaiusNescio, sed dōlum vacuus manet.I don't know, but the jar remains empty.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “empty” translations and entries vacuus, inanis, cassus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cassus, inanis, vacuus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
