# evacuated

/iˈvækjəˌweɪtɪd/ (US) · /ɪvˈækjuːˌeɪtɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/evacuated
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. moved to safety

verb · CEFR B2

to have been moved out of a dangerous place because of a threat like a fire or flood.

For teachers: the past tense or past participle of evacuate, describing the removal of persons or things from a place of danger to a safer location.

- Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes before the storm arrived.
- Emergency services confirmed that the entire coastal village had been successfully evacuated before the rising floodwaters made the main road impassable.

Usage: Often used in the passive voice ('were evacuated').

### 2. empty of people

adjective · CEFR B2

describing a place that is now empty because everyone was sent away for safety.

For teachers: describing a building, area, or town that has been cleared of its inhabitants, typically for safety reasons.

- The police walked through the evacuated building to make sure no one was left behind.
- The silence in the evacuated city was eerie, with abandoned cars still sitting in the middle of the streets.

### 3. containing a vacuum

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing a container where all the air or gas has been taken out.

For teachers: describing a vessel or space from which all air or other contents have been removed to create a vacuum.

- The experiment must be done inside an evacuated glass tube.
- The technician placed the sample inside an evacuated chamber to prevent any atmospheric interference with the delicate chemical reaction.

Usage: Commonly used in physics and chemistry to describe laboratory equipment.

## Examples

- The police evacuated the building after the fire alarm rang.
- Emergency services worked through the night to ensure every family was evacuated before the river burst its banks.
- Following the discovery of an unexploded wartime bomb, authorities evacuated the entire residential block and established a two-hundred-meter safety perimeter until the device could be neutralized.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.