dislocation

noun

dis·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌdis-(ˌ)lō-ˈkā-shən 

-lə-

: the act of dislocating : the state of being dislocated: such as

a

: displacement of one or more bones at a joint : luxation

b

: a discontinuity in the otherwise normal lattice structure of a crystal

c

: disruption of an established order

Synonyms

• disruption
• disturbance

Examples of dislocation in a Sentence

the slightest dislocation in her daily routine bothered the elderly woman

Recent Examples on the Web

Strategic Flexibility – Without the constraints of public market reporting and liquidity demands, private market managers can act more nimbly, taking advantage of market dislocations and long-term opportunities. —Rick Unser, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

The dislocation was clean, with no broken bones or ligament damage. —Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025

Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images Godwin suffered an ankle dislocation, which led to him missing the majority of the 2024 season. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025

Drifting between moving-image formats and collaging local textures and bygone voices, Oscar Ruiz Navia’s film reflects on loss and mourning as experiences of temporal dislocation. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dislocation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

dislocation

noun

dis·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌdis-(ˌ)lō-ˈkā-shən 

: the act of dislocating : the state of being dislocated

especially : displacement of one or more bones at a joint

Medical Definition

dislocation

noun

dis·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌdis-(ˌ)lō-ˈkā-shən, -lə- 

: displacement of one or more bones at a joint : luxation