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

Aircraft manufacturers and engine makers are increasingly relying on suppliers that can meet strict aviation safety standards while also scaling production for real-world deployment. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026

Apple executives have distinguished the deployment from Google’s consumer artificial intelligence stack and model-serving infrastructure. —Eric Sullivan, Scientific American, 9 June 2026

The commission decided on the latter option, removing any time limit for the 50 percent deployment milestone, but keeping the July 2029 deadline in place for the entire constellation. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026

While model developers like Hooker are focused on building more capable and efficient AI systems, Liang said the industry’s immediate challenge is running today’s massive models efficiently enough to make real-world deployments economically viable. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 9 June 2026

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