dislocate

verb

dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt How to pronounce dislocate (audio)
-lə-;
(ˌ)dis-ˈlō- How to pronounce dislocate (audio)
dislocated; dislocating; dislocates

transitive verb

1
: to put out of place
specifically : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
2
: to force a change in the usual status, relationship, or order of : disrupt

Examples of dislocate in a Sentence

She fell and dislocated her shoulder. The new hotel will dislocate several businesses. Thousands of workers have been dislocated by the latest economic crisis.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The hiker may have dislocated his ankle on a trail beneath Bridal Veil Falls, North Fork Fire Department said in a June 8 post on Facebook. Brooke Baitinger, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2025 Joel was wearing a helmet at the time and smashed into her car and dislocated his wrist, crushed his thumb and flipped over the car, landing on his back. Marina Watts, People.com, 6 June 2025 Skin stretches farther, joints bend too far and sometimes dislocate, and internal tissues bruise or tear more easily. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 May 2025 Each character has communication issues and seems dislocated from themselves and their origins. Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for dislocate

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin dislocatus, past participle of dislocare, from Latin dis- + locare to locate

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dislocate was in 1601

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dislocate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dislocate. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

dislocate

verb
dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt How to pronounce dislocate (audio)
(ˈ)dis-ˈlō-
1
: to put out of place
especially : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
2

Medical Definition

dislocate

transitive verb
dislocated; dislocating
: to put (a body part) out of order by displacing a bone from its normal connections with another bone
he dislocated his shoulder
also : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone
the humerus was dislocated in the fall

More from Merriam-Webster on dislocate

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