deployment

American  

[dih-ploi-muhnt] / dɪˈplɔɪ mənt /

noun

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

• counterdeployment noun

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

However, its low cost and ease of deployment have made it a popular choice in developing countries, analysts say.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

An initial deployment plan has been approved, adhering to the ceiling of 5,500 troops and police officers authorized by the Security Council, and "deployments will take place in phases over the coming months," he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

Critical infrastructure and application deployment should be limited to licensed, supported and proprietary source code systems to reduce the security risks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Hesai launched a product called Kosmo, which integrates Lidar and vision sensors to capture real-world deployment conditions, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

The only thing he’d been clear about was that the work would require a long overseas deployment.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• distribution
• formation