Main Entry: dis·place·ment

Pronunciation: \-ˈplā-smənt\

Function: noun

1 a : the act or process of removing something from its usual or proper place or the state resulting from this : dislocation <the displacement of a knee joint> b : percolation 3
2 : the quantity in which or the degree to which something is displaced
3 a : the redirection of an emotion or impulse from its original object (as an idea or person) to something that is more acceptable b : sublimation 2 c : the substitution of another form of behavior for what is usual or expected especially when the usual response is nonadaptive—called also displacement activity, displacement behavior