c. 1300, "unoccupied, vacant," from Anglo-French and Old French voide, viude "empty, vast, wide, hollow, waste, uncultivated, fallow," as a noun, "opening, hole; loss," from Latin vocivos "unoccupied, vacant," related to vacare "be empty," from PIE *wak-, extended form of root *eue- "to leave, abandon, give out." Meaning "lacking or wanting" (something) is recorded from early 15c. Meaning "legally invalid, without legal efficacy" is attested from mid-15c.