displace

verb dis·place \ (ˌ)dis-ˈplās , di-ˈsplās \

|Updated on: 19 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: displace in a Sentence

Definition of displace

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

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displaceable

play \-ˈplā-sə-bəl\ adjective

See displace defined for English-language learners

See displace defined for kids

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 of displace from the Web

Also on hand was a marching contingent made up of people who are on the US mainland only because they were displaced from their homes on the island.

— rebecca gibian and deepti hajela, The Christian Science Monitor, "Puerto Rican Day Parade participants celebrate and mourn," 11 June 2018
Also on hand was a marching contingent made up of people who are on the US mainland only because they were displaced from their homes on the island.

— rebecca gibian, BostonGlobe.com, "Puerto Rican Day Parade shows post-hurricane concerns," 11 June 2018
Also on hand was a marching contingent made up of people who are on the U.S. mainland only because they were displaced from their homes on the island.

— rebecca gibian, The Seattle Times, "Puerto Rican Day Parade displays post-hurricane pride," 10 June 2018
More than 4,000 people remained in shelters after last week’s eruption, and more than a million people have been displaced from their homes.

— nick powell, Houston Chronicle, "Sheila Jackson Lee, community leaders call for additional aid to Guatemala volcano victims," 10 June 2018
Also on hand was a marching contingent made up of people who are on the U.S. mainland only because they were displaced from their homes on the island.

— CBS News, "Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York highlights post-hurricane pride," 10 June 2018
Also on hand was a marching contingent made up of people who are on the U.S. mainland only because they were displaced from their homes on the island after the hurricane.

— Fox News, "Many marchers at NYC's Puerto Rican Day Parade say Trump White House abandoned Hurricane Maria victims," 10 June 2018
Crews were still trying to determine how many people are displaced.

— madeline buckley, chicagotribune.com, "Woman critical after jumping to escape fire in Rogers Park apartment building," 5 June 2018
Trout didn’t know exactly how many workers had been displaced by Sunday’s flooding but said there are a significant number of job openings in the county in the fields of food service, information technology and health care.

— andrea k. mcdaniels, baltimoresun.com, "Ellicott City flood leaves many workers without jobs," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'displace.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of displace

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1549

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

displace Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

DISPLACE Defined for English Language Learners

displace

verb

Definition of displace for English Language Learners

: to take the job or position of (someone or something)
: to force (people or animals) to leave the area where they live
: to remove (someone) from a job or position

DISPLACE Defined for Kids

displace

verb dis·place \ dis-ˈplās \

Definition of displace for Students

displaced; displacing

1 : to remove from the usual or proper place

The fire displaced many forest animals.

2 : to take the place of : replace

Chess displaced checkers as his favorite game.

3 : to move out of position

A floating object displaces water.

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displacement

\-mənt\ noun

Medical Dictionary

displace

transitive verb dis·place \ (ˈ)dis-ˈplās \

medical Definition of displace

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