dislocation

American  

[dis-loh-key-shuhn] / ˌdɪs loʊˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

• dislocations
  plural

1. an act or instance of dislocating.

2. the state of being dislocated.

3. Crystallography. (in a crystal lattice) a line about which there is a discontinuity in the lattice structure.

---

dislocation British  

/ ˌdɪsləˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of displacing or the state of being displaced; disruption

2. (esp of the bones in a joint) the state or condition of being dislocated

3. a line, plane, or region in which there is a discontinuity in the regularity of a crystal lattice

4. geology a less common word for fault

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dislocations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dislocation

1350–1400; Middle English dislocacioun; see dislocate, -ion

Compare meaning

How does dislocation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• subluxation vs. dislocation

Explanation

Abruptly moving something (or someone) out of its usual place is dislocation. Cutting down the oak tree in your back yard will cause the dislocation of the birds that always build their nests in it. The word dislocation has several different meanings, but they all have something to do with displacement, moving something from its proper place. A joint dislocation happens when a bone is moved (painfully) out of its normal spot: "A common trampoline injury is elbow dislocation." Human dislocation can occur during war, or after a natural disaster forces people to move away from their homes. The Latin root is dislocare, "put out of place."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dislocation dislocations

But there was still time for resident villain Horwood to direct a jibe at broadcaster Will Best's hip action: "Call in the paramedics darling, dislocation - my goodness."

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

New technologies bring dislocation, as changes in farming have to small towns where I live.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

“We believe this dislocation marks the most compelling entry point into the sector in a generation,” Wedbush said, pointing to potential growth drivers such as the U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

Yet for all its honesty about that dislocation, the film remains remarkably hopeful.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

For instance, heroes—superheroes—were born of ridiculous and unlikely circumstances: spider bites, chemical spills, planetary dislocation, and, in the case of Alfred T. Slipper, from accidental submersion in an industrial-size vat of cleaning solution called Incandesto!

From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo

These vectors amplify market dislocations as multiple participants simultaneously unwind positions.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

“When you have big dislocations like this, there’s going to be opportunities.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

He said the firm is seeing dislocations in industrial and transportation companies in particular.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

They also revealed dislocations moving from the layer interfaces into the surrounding CoAl layers, helping explain how the material could deform without quickly fracturing.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026

“Very well, then, Stephen, what harms humanity? Economic dislocations most of all, from whatever cause. Wouldn’t you say so?”

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Related Words

• confusion
• disarray
• disconnection
• disorder
• disruption
• disturbance