deployment

noun

de·​ploy·​ment di-ˈplȯi-mənt 

plural deployments

: the act or movement of deploying or the state of being deployed: such as

a

: placement or arrangement (as of military personnel or equipment) in position for a particular use or purpose

deployment of troops

deployment of a sales force

U.S. military assistance for hurricane relief efforts has delayed the deployment of additional forces to Afghanistan, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

—Reuters

… memories of the peace protests that in the 1980s greeted the deployment of nuclear-armed cruise missiles on Greenham Common in Berkshire.

—Tim Luckhurst

also : an instance of such placement (as in a battle zone) for a period of time

On breaks from his job as a guard at the prison Camp Bucca, Iraq … during his last deployment, in 2007, James would retreat to the camp's sand-swept outdoor court and try to perfect his shot.

—Kelli Anderson

b

: an instance of use that involves something opening and spreading out

a pilot's deployment of a parachute after ejecting from the cockpit

These components work together to fully deploy the air bag within 50 milliseconds of impact. After deployment, the air bag will deflate in approximately 100 milliseconds.

—Martin W. Stockel et al.

Examples of deployment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After 2017, its daily deployment jumped to about 7,100 workers from about 3,300 before then, the GAO said. —Shruti Date Singh Bloomberg News (wpns), arkansasonline.com, 13 July 2024

Its deployment was extended twice because of the importance of having a powerful carrier strike group, which can launch fighter jets at a moment's notice, in the volatile region. —CBS News, 12 July 2024

Here are details about the 2024 Stowe Launch Fellows and their projects: Hearts and Minds by Alexandra Hensley While on deployment in Afghanistan a female Marine, with a need to prove herself, finds her dreams of combat thwarted when she is tasked with starting a school for local Afghan children. —Valerie Complex, Deadline, 11 July 2024

The Philippine Air Force arrived in northern Australia on Wednesday on its first overseas deployment in six decades for combat practice alongside U.S. and Australian fighter jets. —Reuters, NBC News, 11 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French déploiement, from déployer "to unfurl, spread out, deploy" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deployment

• counter-deployment