displacement

[ dis-pleys-muhnt ]

/ dɪsˈpleɪs mənt /

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See synonyms for displacement on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act of displacing.

the state of being displaced or the amount or degree to which something is displaced.

Psychology, Psychoanalysis. the transfer of an emotion from its original focus to another object, person, or situation.

Physics.

the displacing in space of one mass by another.
the weight or the volume of fluid displaced by a floating or submerged body.Compare Archimedes' principle.
the linear or angular distance in a given direction between a body or point and a reference position.
the distance of an oscillating body from its central position or point of equilibrium at any given moment.

Machinery, Automotive.

the volume of the space through which a piston travels during a single stroke in an engine, pump, or the like.
the total volume of the space traversed by all the pistons.

Nautical. the amount of water that a vessel displaces, expressed in displacement tons.

Geology. the offset of rocks caused by movement along a fault.

electric displacement.

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Origin of displacement

First recorded in 1605–15; displace + -ment

OTHER WORDS FROM displacement

pre·dis·place·ment, noun

Words nearby displacement

dispiteous, displace, displaced, displaced homemaker, displaced person, displacement, displacement activity, displacement current, displacement hull, displacement ton, displacement tonnage

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use displacement in a sentence

The practice is rife with allegations of child labor, dangerous working conditions, community displacement, and water pollution from toxic processing chemicals.
Can Tesla help solve one of the thorniest ethical problems with electric vehicles?|Tim McDonnell|September 10, 2020|Quartz
So I wouldn’t say there’s been a displacement in shopper marketing spend due to the growth of e-commerce.
‘Retailers are media owners in their own right’: Why e-commerce is driving more of Unilever’s media spend|Seb Joseph|September 9, 2020|Digiday
Manufacturers design each displacement level of bike with suitable engines, tech, and safety features in mind.
Your kid wants a dirt bike. Here’s what to buy them.|By Serena Bleeker/Dirt Rider|September 4, 2020|Popular-Science
These machines come in a variety of different displacement levels from 50cc to 125cc.
Your kid wants a dirt bike. Here’s what to buy them.|By Serena Bleeker/Dirt Rider|September 4, 2020|Popular-Science

How to figure out sizingGenerally speaking, the lower the displacement, the lower the seat height.
Your kid wants a dirt bike. Here’s what to buy them.|By Serena Bleeker/Dirt Rider|September 4, 2020|Popular-Science
This spatial displacement reveals your thirst for freedom, your desire for openness and to break with the protest novel.
Living Black & Gay in the ’50s|Alain Mabanckou|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For those who escape direct physical injury, there remain the ill effects of displacement and deprivation.
Palestinian Kids’ PTSD Could Last Generations|Russell Saunders|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A tense, dynamic equilibrium between the U.S. and China seems more likely than a clear displacement of the former by the latter.
Why China Won’t Eclipse the United States|Ali Wyne|June 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The daily killing and displacement of civilians have not led to an international agreement to stop the conflict.
After 3 Years of Brutal War Syria is Still Burning, but the World’s Attention Seems to Have Moved On.|Abdulhamid Qabbani|March 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Palestinians call their displacement from Syria “a second Nakba,” Ellis said.
In Syria, Palestinian Refugees Made Refugees Again|Matt Surrusco|October 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This secular displacement of the line of the apsides brings a sixth complication to the motion of our abiding-place.
Urania|Camille Flammarion
They are simply well-designed boats of light displacement and large sail-area, very fast and very handy.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.
Instances of such displacement are given in the footnote of the previous paragraph.
The Elements of Qualitative Chemical Analysis, vol. 1, parts 1 and 2.|Julius Stieglitz
In all of these cases, the movement of displacement is identical, and presents only adventitious differences.
Plotinos: Complete Works, v. 3|Plotinos (Plotinus)
The displacement of religious by other considerations is observable on all sides.
Theism or Atheism|Chapman Cohen

British Dictionary definitions for displacement

displacement

/ (dɪsˈpleɪsmənt) /

noun

the act of displacing or the condition of being displaced

the weight or volume displaced by a floating or submerged body in a fluid

chem another name for substitution

the volume displaced by the piston of a reciprocating pump or engine

psychoanal the transferring of emotional feelings from their original object to one that disguises their real nature

geology the distance any point on one side of a fault plane has moved in relation to a corresponding point on the opposite side

astronomy an apparent change in position of a body, such as a star

maths the distance measured in a particular direction from a reference pointSymbol: s

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for displacement

displacement

[ dĭs-plās′mənt ]

Chemistry A chemical reaction in which an atom, radical, or molecule replaces another in a compound.

Physics A vector, or the magnitude of a vector, that points from an initial position (of a body or reference frame) to a subsequent position.

The weight or volume of a fluid displaced by a floating body, used especially as a measurement of the weight or bulk of ships.

The volume displaced by a single stroke of a piston in an engine or pump.

Geology

The relative movement between the two sides of a geologic fault.
The distance between the two sides of a fault. Also called dislocation

displacement

Origin of displacement

OTHER WORDS FROM displacement

Words nearby displacement

Words related to displacement

How to use displacement in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for displacement

Scientific definitions for displacement