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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 2a) by a floating body (such as a ship) of equal weightb : the difference between the initial position of something (such as a body or geometric figure) and any later positionc 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 emotionsb : 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 of displacement from the Web
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Nghia is the latest high-profile architect to design an inexpensive, prefabricated home as an antidote to urban sprawl, mass displacement or natural disasters.
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Osman, who was born in Somalia, writes poetry about race, gender, displacement and colonialism.
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Though the cities are on the verge of liberation, the damage ISIS has done to these communities — death, destruction, torture, displacement, brainwashing, and so on — could take a generation to repair.
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But as software gets smarter, that too is subject to change: Companies will eliminate even jobs that were long considered immune from technological displacement.
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With larger displacement, the 450s gained more power and began to dominate the race circuit.
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Though LA’s bid does not require the construction of any permanent venues, NOlympics LA organizers are concerned about displacement of residents and affordability of housing.
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At around 29,000 tons displacement, the ship dwarfs the 8,315-ton U.S. warship.
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The mother of 12 is just one of thousands of Ethiopians who have walked up to three days on foot to displacement camps for aid.
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.
Origin and Etymology of displacement
see displace
Other Psychology Terms
Medical Dictionary
displacement
playMedical 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 jointb: percolation 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 acceptableb: sublimation 2c: 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
Learn More about displacement
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See words that rhyme with displacement Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for displacement Spanish Central: Translation of displacement Nglish: Translation of displacement for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of displacement for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about displacement
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