deployment

American  

[dih-ploi-muhnt] / dɪˈplɔɪ mənt /

noun

• deployments
  plural

1. the act of moving something or someone into a strategic position or a position of readiness, or the condition of being in such a position.

   Delays in the deployment of armored vehicles and body armor can cost lives on the front lines.

   Our team is highly experienced in the design, development, and deployment of customized IT solutions for healthcare facilities.

2. the state of being assigned for duty away from home, especially for military purposes.

   Encouragement and support are essential to help returning veterans handle the long-term impacts of deployment and reintegration into a nonmilitary daily routine.

   Community health workers on deployment are assisting in disaster recovery.

3. a period of time during which a person or group is assigned for duty away from home, especially for military purposes.

   She is a helicopter pilot on her second deployment to Afghanistan.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• counterdeployment
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• deployments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of deployment

First recorded in 1775–85; deploy ( def. ) + -ment ( def. )

Explanation

Deployment is a word, often used by the military, for sending troops into duty. A soldier could be part of a deployment to the Middle East. Deployment refers to assigning people to serve in various locations, especially soldiers and other military personnel. A deployment may include soldiers, as well as equipment and generals. Deployments might be part of a war or a peaceful mission. Also, non-military organizations use this word too: they might speak of a deployment of workers to a new office. When you see the word deployment, you know people are being sent somewhere for a specific mission.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deployment deployments

But the deployment of 19 warships, air-defense units, fighter squadrons and paratroopers across the region is straining servicemembers and their families and creating a maintenance backlog that could take years to unwind, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

The police report claimed that the Moroccan police deployment around the border "was clearly smaller than usual" and cited migrants who spoke of a "passive attitude" as the crossings happened.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Before the deployment, the Dutch bank held 31.3 percent of its gold in New York and 19.7 percent in Ottawa.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

The USS Abraham Lincoln will soon return from its deployment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

Oppenheimer was uncomfortable with the entire discussion, for he considered the question of the bomb’s deployment to be outside the scientists’ expertise.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Underinvestment has led to long deployments, a pilot shortage and strains on ship maintenance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

He then served five years in the Navy and completed two overseas deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Joint Task Force Liberia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

The tall, athletic rugby and polo fan embarked on a decade-long military career that included two Afghanistan deployments, one as a helicopter pilot.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

The U.S. military is ramping up its presence in the former colony with increasingly sophisticated drills, missile deployments and new infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Over the years, over the subsequent deployments, I sent her hundreds of letters.

From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez

Related Words

• distribution
• formation