displacement

noun

dis·place·ment | \ (ˌ)dis-ˈplā-smənt

, di-ˈsplā- \

Definition of displacement

1 : the act or process of displacing : the state of being displaced a storm that caused the displacement of thousands of people

2a physics : the volume or weight of a fluid (such as water) displaced (see displace sense 2a) by a floating body (such as a ship) of equal weight

b : the difference between the initial position of something (such as a body or geometric figure) and any later position

c mechanical engineering : the volume displaced by a piston (as in a pump or an engine) in a single stroke also, automotive vehicles : the total volume so displaced by all the pistons in an internal combustion engine

3 psychology

a : the redirection of an emotion or impulse from its original object (such as an idea or person) to another the displacement of his emotions

b : the substitution of another form of behavior for what is usual or expected especially when the usual response is nonadaptive or socially inappropriate

— called also displacement activity, displacement behavior

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Examples of displacement in a Sentence

The war has caused the displacement of thousands of people. displacements in the Earth's crust soil displacement caused by farming

Recent Examples on the Web That longing and sense of displacement, which Ms. Elkayam inherited, is a constant theme in her work, as is a search for her own identity. — New York Times, "Bridging Time, Distance and Distrust, With Music," 26 Mar. 2021 The threat of displacement in gentrifying neighborhoods is another long-running issue. — Jon Kamp, WSJ, "Boston Gets First Black Woman Mayor, Reflecting City’s Changes," 23 Mar. 2021 These range from the standard six-cylinder engines with 285 hp and 3.6-liters of displacement to 400 hp 4.0-liter versions with an RS crank. — Tim Pitt, Robb Report, "First Drive: Here’s How Theon Design Has Refined the Classic 911 Recipe," 18 Mar. 2021 The French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss had a name for this kind of displacement: dépaysement, decountrifying. — Time, "The Pandemic Made Us Strangers to Ourselves. Will We Have Learned Anything When It's Over?," 16 Mar. 2021 Finally, deputy editor Tony Quiroga shows us the 18.5-foot-long front-drive convertible behemoth that made a mere 215 horsepower from 500 cubic feet of displacement. — Tony Quiroga, Car and Driver, "Finding the Cars of Our Childhood: Window Shop with Car and Driver," 5 Mar. 2021 High radiation after the Chernobyl accident made its health effects hard to separate from the social and psychological impacts of displacement. — Dennis Normile, Science | AAAS, "This physician has studied the Fukushima disaster for a decade—and found a surprising health threat," 4 Mar. 2021 Jeremy Sencer, vice president of the Providence Teachers Union, said Saturday that some teachers agreed to pursue the certification but still got displacement notices. — BostonGlobe.com, "New England news in brief," 20 Mar. 2021 Freeway travel was acceptable for 400cc displacement architecture. — Joe Michaud, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Kawasaki Z400: Street performer," 14 Mar. 2021

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

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Last Updated

5 Apr 2021

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“Displacement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/displacement. Accessed 13 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for displacement

displacement

noun

English Language Learners Definition of displacement

: the act of forcing people or animals to leave the area where they live

: the movement of something from its original or regular position

technical : the amount of water that is moved by an object when it is placed in water

See the full definition for displacement in the English Language Learners Dictionary

displacement

noun

dis·place·ment | \ -ˈplā-smənt

Medical Definition of displacement

1a : the act or process of removing something from its usual or proper place or the state resulting from this : dislocation the displacement of a knee joint

b : percolation sense 3

2 : the quantity in which or the degree to which something is displaced

3a : the redirection of an emotion or impulse from its original object (as an idea or person) to something that is more acceptable

b : sublimation sense 2

c : the substitution of another form of behavior for what is usual or expected especially when the usual response is nonadaptive

— called also displacement activity, displacement behavior

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