displace

verb

dis·​place (ˌ)dis-ˈplās 

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

(ˌ)dis-ˈplā-sə-bəl 

di-ˈsplā-

adjective

Synonyms of displace

• remove
• relocate
• move
• transfer
• shift
• disturb

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

The project was delayed by years of debate and lawsuits, including over concerns about the takeover of lakefront land and the gentrification that could displace current residents. —Susan Page, USA Today, 15 June 2026

The war displaced most of the Palestinian population of more than 2 million, left large parts of the territory in rubble and created widespread shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies asGaza’s border crossings — all but one controlled by Israel — were shut. —Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026

Three families were displaced, and multiple pets were rescued after a three-alarm fire in a three-story home in Baltimore's Reservoir Hill neighborhood, according to the city's fire department. —Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 June 2026

Today, as armed gangs displace communities and take over fields once used by young players, Jean-Bart worries about the future of the sport inside Haiti. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for displace

• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace
• blackface
• boldface
• bookcase
• braincase
• briefcase
• carcase

Kids Definition

displace

verb

dis·​place (ˈ)dis-ˈplās 

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

-ə-bəl 

adjective

Medical Definition

displace

transitive verb

dis·​place (ˈ)dis-ˈplās 

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 fibers

—R. 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 punish

—B. 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