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

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about displacement

Keep scrolling for more

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

They were destined for one of many impromptu displacement camps, likely a school. — Cara Anna, The Seattle Times, "‘It’s not safe anywhere:’ Mozambique cyclone scattered lives," 30 Mar. 2019 Lazere: The loss of affordable housing has led to displacement of long-term residents and a shameful level of homelessness. — Fenit Nirappil, Washington Post, "Where the candidates for D.C. Council chair stand on the issues," 11 June 2018 On the heels of Cyclone Idai (where over 1000 people lost their lives) this cyclone will leave the people of Mozambique victim to catastrophic flooding, food insecurity, displacement, and obliteration of their homes and villages. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Celebrate the Commonwealth's 70th Anniversary," 26 Apr. 2019 To illustrate the concept of strand displacement, Qian et al, draw a simple analogy to two people, Amy and Adam, who have a few things in common and decide to date. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Caltech scientists use DNA tiles to play tic-tac-toe at the nanoscale," 29 Dec. 2018 While shifts in globalization and manufacturing have already caused significant economic displacement, upcoming changes in tech will likely be an even bigger driver of growth and disruption going forward. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "When towns lose a factory, what comes next?," 29 Nov. 2018 That latter point is why dirt bikes allow kids to (legally) progress the power and displacement ladder more quickly than ATVs. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Honda CRF50F Is the Quintessential Starter Dirt Bike," 28 Nov. 2018 Since her own girlhood, she's addressed issues of migration and displacement. — Mattie Kahn, Glamour, "Let the Poet Warsan Shire Tell You About the "Bravest Girl in the World"," 8 Mar. 2019 In some cases, however, students may experience scholarship displacement even when there is no over-award. — Cheryl Winokur Munk, WSJ, "Why Getting Too Many College Scholarships Can Actually be a Problem," 10 Feb. 2019

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about displacement

Dictionary Entries near displacement

Statistics for displacement

Last Updated

6 Jun 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for displacement

The first known use of displacement was in 1611

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

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