displace

verb

dis·​place (ˌ)dis-ˈplās How to pronounce displace (audio)
di-ˈsplās
displaced; displacing; displaces

transitive verb

1
a
: to remove from the usual or proper place
specifically : to expel or force to flee from home or homeland
displaced persons
b
: to remove from an office, status, or job
c
obsolete : to drive out : banish
2
a
: to move physically out of position
a floating object displaces water
b
: to take the place of (as in a chemical reaction) : supplant
displaceable adjective
Choose the Right Synonym for displace

replace, displace, supplant, supersede mean to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another.

replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else.

was abruptly supplanted in her affections by another

supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

Examples of displace in a Sentence

The war has displaced thousands of people. The hurricane displaced most of the town's residents. The closing of the factory has displaced many workers. farming practices that displace large amounts of soil
Recent Examples on the Web This time around, the engine was built by Cosworth to displace 4.0 liters and produce 654 hp and 344 ft lbs of torque on the way to a screaming redline of 12,100 rpm. Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 Eighty percent of Gazans have been displaced, many of them multiple times. Sarah Ferguson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Prior to the current conflict, 71% of residents were refugees whose families had been displaced into the strip by the 1948 war and then the 1967 Six-Day War. Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Mar. 2024 In addition some 70,000 people have been wounded, and 1.7 million — or 80% of the population — has been displaced, according to Gazan health officials and U.N. estimates. Follow live coverage A hospital morgue in Rafah this month. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 The United Nations says the war has displaced around 2 million people in Gaza. Aya Batrawy, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 As well as displacing the majority of Gaza’s 2.2 million people, the war has drastically diminished supplies of water, electricity and food, and cut off access to vital life-saving care. Rob Picheta, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Over 60% of the internally displaced were forced onto the streets just last year, the agency said. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 Rafael García said spotting Chiva Torta felt like the González family went out of its way to represent the community and make space for a business that might have been displaced by the closure of 4th Street’s Northgate. Sarah Mosqueda, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'displace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from Middle French desplacer, from des- dis- + place place

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of displace was in 1549

Dictionary Entries Near displace

Cite this Entry

“Displace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/displace. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

displace

verb
dis·​place (ˈ)dis-ˈplās How to pronounce displace (audio)
1
: to remove from a usual or proper place
especially : to expel or force to flee from home or homeland
displaced persons
2
a
: to remove physically out of position
water displaced by a floating object
b
: to take the place of : replace
displaceable adjective

Medical Definition

displace

transitive verb
dis·​place (ˈ)dis-ˈplās How to pronounce displace (audio)
displaced; displacing
1
a
: to remove from the usual or proper place
in heterotopia the gray portions of the cord are displaced so that patches of gray matter are scattered among the bundles of white fibersR. L. Cecil et al.
b
: to shift (an emotion or behavior) from a maladaptive or unacceptable object or form of outlet to a more adaptive or acceptable one
displace punishable behavior by directing it towards things that cannot punishB. F. Skinner
2
: to set free from chemical combination by taking the place of
zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids
3
: to subject to percolation

More from Merriam-Webster on displace

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!