had been vacated

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been vacated" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that a place or position was previously occupied but is now empty or unoccupied. Example: "The office had been vacated by the previous tenant, leaving it ready for the new occupants."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Some houses had been vacated earlier in the week and others were vacant vacation homes, said Dean Barnella, chief of the Mount Lemmon Fire Department.

The New York Times

The consent decree had been vacated.

The New York Times

An earlier conviction had been vacated on appeal.

Cornell University

This house had been vacated, so there weren't any casualties.

The New York Times

Tel Qatifa and Ganei Tal also had been vacated entirely, military officials said.

The Washington Post

The police said the warrant had been vacated because Mr. Charles had been hospitalized.

The New York Times

Consider what happened when two professors in the same department both desired a spacious office that recently had been vacated.

Harvard University

But by then, dozens of homes on those properties had been vacated.

The New York Times

She and a roommate moved into an apartment west of Union Square, which had been vacated by the roommate's sister.

The New York Times

Going to house he found it had been vacated that morning, no one knowing who inhabitants had been.

The New Yorker

They had also, without a warrant but with the landlady's permission, searched the apartment, which by then had been vacated.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a transition, use "had been vacated" to clearly indicate that the space or position was previously occupied but is now empty. For instance, "The office had been vacated by the previous team, so we repainted it before the new staff arrived."

Common error

Avoid using "evacuated" when "vacated" is more appropriate. "Evacuated" implies a forced or emergency departure, whereas "vacated" simply means to leave a place. Ensure the context aligns with the intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been vacated" functions as a passive perfect construction, indicating that a subject (a place or position) underwent the action of vacating at some point in the past. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this construction is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

61%

Academia

15%

Wiki

6%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had been vacated" is a grammatically sound and frequently used construction, as validated by Ludwig AI. It functions as a passive perfect form, describing a state of emptiness resulting from a past action. While its register is mostly neutral, it appears more commonly in news and media sources, as well as academic writings. When using this phrase, be mindful of the distinction between "vacated" and "evacuated", ensuring the context appropriately reflects a simple departure rather than an emergency situation. Consider using alternatives such as "was left empty" or "had become vacant" to add variety to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had become vacant

This uses "vacant" as an adjective to describe the state of being unoccupied.

was left empty

This alternative uses the simple adjective "empty" instead of "vacated", making it more direct.

was left unoccupied

This alternative replaces "had been vacated" with a more descriptive phrase, highlighting the state of being unoccupied.

was emptied out

This alternative adds emphasis to the process of becoming empty.

had been cleared

This alternative focuses on the action of removing occupants or contents, rather than the state of being unoccupied.

had been abandoned

This alternative implies a sense of neglect or desertion, adding a slightly different connotation.

had no occupants

This alternative is more literal and descriptive, explicitly stating the absence of occupants.

was freed up

This focuses on the release of the space for other purposes.

was made available

This suggests the space is now ready for use, shifting the focus to availability.

was evacuated

This alternative implies a forced or urgent departure.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "had been vacated"?

You can use alternatives such as "was left empty", "had become vacant", or "was left unoccupied" depending on the context.

What does "had been vacated" mean?

It means that a place or position was previously occupied but is now empty. It implies a completed action of leaving or being emptied.

Is it correct to say "had been evacuated" instead of "had been vacated"?

While both words relate to leaving a place, "evacuated" implies an emergency or forced departure. "Vacated" is a more general term for leaving a place, so use it when there's no sense of urgency or compulsion. Using "had been evacuated" when it should be "had been vacated" may be a confusing usage.

How to use "had been vacated" in a sentence?

Example: "The apartment had been vacated by the previous tenants, so it was ready for renovation."