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

Conflict Resolution: Mediate between competing objectives—whether between corporate AI deployments or national AI agendas—ensuring fairness and safety. —Chrissa McFarlane, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025

Plus, panelists joined to discuss the Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. Donald Trump traveled to Alaska yesterday to meet with Vladimir Putin. —The Editors, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2025

Trump's deployment of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to address these social ills has conservatives cheering and liberals condemning the move. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2025

Lawful immigration systems must be civilian-led, transparent, and accountable — not driven by domestic deployments and the false legitimacy of a uniform. —Chris Purdy, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for deployment

• employment
• enjoyment
• preemployment
• redeployment
• reemployment
• unemployment
• underemployment