# void

/ˈvɔɪd/ (US) · /vˈɔɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/void
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. an empty space

noun · CEFR B2

a large, empty space or a feeling of great sadness because something is missing.

For teachers: an empty space or vacuum; figuratively, a feeling of significant loss or emptiness following a departure or death.

- After her best friend moved away, she felt a huge void in her life.
- The sudden resignation of the CEO left a power void that several ambitious executives immediately attempted to fill.

### 2. a black cat

noun · CEFR C1 · Humorous · Informal · Slang

a funny way to describe a black cat because they look like a dark shape with eyes.

For teachers: a humorous, internet-slang term for a black cat, referencing its visual similarity to a dark, featureless silhouette.

- I couldn't see my cat in the dark room until the little void opened his eyes.
- The subreddit is dedicated entirely to photos of 'voids'—black cats that blend so perfectly into shadows that only their glowing eyes are visible.

### 3. space without galaxies

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a very large area in space that contains almost no stars or galaxies.

For teachers: a vast region of space containing few or no galaxies, situated between filaments of the cosmic web.

- Astronomers are studying a massive void that seems to be empty of galaxies.
- The Boötes void is one of the largest known celestial gaps, challenging current models of how the universe distributed matter after the Big Bang.

### 4. not legally valid

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal

having no legal power; not official or binding.

For teachers: having no legal force or binding effect; null and incapable of being enforced.

- The contract became void because it was never signed by the manager.
- The judge ruled the agreement null and void, citing the fact that one party had signed under significant duress.

### 5. lacking something

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

completely without something, especially a good quality.

For teachers: entirely lacking or free from something; typically used with the preposition 'of'.

- The desert landscape was beautiful but void of any signs of water.
- His face remained void of emotion even as the jury read the guilty verdict aloud to the silent courtroom.

### 6. returning no value

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

used in computer code to show that a function does not send back any data.

For teachers: denoting a function or method that does not return a value to its caller.

- The programmer defined the function as void because it only prints text to the screen.
- In C++, the void keyword is used to specify that a function performs an action but does not return a result to the calling routine.

### 7. to cancel or empty

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

to make something invalid or to empty out waste from the body.

For teachers: to nullify a legal document; also used in medical contexts to mean the discharge of waste, such as urine.

- The bank had to void the check because the amount was written incorrectly.
- The patient was asked to void into a sterile container so the laboratory could perform a full urinalysis.

Usage: In a medical context, it is often used as an intransitive verb meaning to urinate.

## Examples

- The death of his dog left a void in his life.
- The astronaut stared out into the dark void of space, feeling small against the endless stars.
- When the CEO resigned without a clear successor, a power void opened up that led to months of internal conflict among the senior management team.

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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.