displace

verb

dis·​place (ˌ)dis-ˈplās 

di-ˈsplās

displaced; displacing; displaces

transitive verb

1

a

: to remove from the usual or proper place

specifically : to expel or force to flee from home or homeland

displaced persons

b

: to remove from an office, status, or job

c

obsolete : to drive out : banish

2

a

: to move physically out of position

a floating object displaces water

b

: to take the place of (as in a chemical reaction) : supplant

displaceable

(ˌ)dis-ˈplā-sə-bəl 

di-ˈsplā-

adjective

Synonyms

• remove
• relocate
• move
• transfer
• shift
• disturb

Choose the Right Synonym for displace

replace, displace, supplant, supersede mean to put out of a usual or proper place or into the place of another.

replace implies a filling of a place once occupied by something lost, destroyed, or no longer usable or adequate.

replaced the broken window

displace implies an ousting or dislodging.

war had displaced thousands

supplant implies either a dispossessing or usurping of another's place, possessions, or privileges or an uprooting of something and its replacement with something else.

was abruptly supplanted in her affections by another

supersede implies replacing a person or thing that has become superannuated, obsolete, or otherwise inferior.

the new edition supersedes all previous ones

Examples of displace in a Sentence

The war has displaced thousands of people.

The hurricane displaced most of the town's residents.

The closing of the factory has displaced many workers.

farming practices that displace large amounts of soil

Recent Examples on the Web

The same tents are often used to house those displaced by natural disasters, like hurricanes, DeSantis’ office said. —Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 1 July 2025

The Venezuelan business community in Miami has launched a donation campaign to help those affected by the torrential rains that have ravaged more than five states in Venezuela, leaving at least one person dead and over 8,000 people displaced. —Sonia Osorio, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025

An exception is Ikea, which said call center workers displaced by AI would have the chance to retrain as interior design advisors. —Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

Orphans displaced again, driven from their refuge to an unknown shelter. —Fatemeh Shams june 30, Literary Hub, 30 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from Middle French desplacer, from des- dis- + place place

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for displace

• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace
• blackface
• boldface
• bookcase
• braincase
• briefcase
• carcase

Kids Definition

displace

verb

dis·​place (ˈ)dis-ˈplās 

1

: to remove from a usual or proper place

especially : to expel or force to flee from home or homeland

displaced persons

2

a

: to remove physically out of position

water displaced by a floating object

b

: to take the place of : replace

displaceable

-ə-bəl 

adjective

Medical Definition

displace

transitive verb

dis·​place (ˈ)dis-ˈplās 

displaced; displacing

1

a

: to remove from the usual or proper place

in heterotopia the gray portions of the cord are displaced so that patches of gray matter are scattered among the bundles of white fibers

—R. L. Cecil et al.

b

: to shift (an emotion or behavior) from a maladaptive or unacceptable object or form of outlet to a more adaptive or acceptable one

displace punishable behavior by directing it towards things that cannot punish

—B. F. Skinner

2

: to set free from chemical combination by taking the place of

zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids

3

: to subject to percolation