displacement

Language: en

🇬🇧 /dɪˈspleɪsmənt/ 🇺🇸 /dɪˈspleɪsmənt/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    The act of moving something or someone from its usual or proper place; the state of being displaced.; In physics, the shortest distance and direction from an initial position to a final position of an object, represented as a vector.; The volume of fluid displaced by a floating or submerged body, used as a measure of the weight or size of a ship.; In psychology, a defense mechanism in which emotions or impulses are redirected from their original object to a substitute target.; In geology, the amount of movement along a fault plane, measured as the distance between formerly adjacent points on opposite sides of the fault.; In chemistry, a reaction in which one element or group replaces another in a compound.; The forced removal of people from their homeland or region, often due to conflict, persecution, or natural disaster.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable / uncountable Plural: displacements

Collocations

forced displacementengine displacementdisplacement of peoplelateral displacementvolume displacementdisplacement activity

Derivatives

displacedisplaceddisplacingdisplaceable

Synonyms

dislocationremovalrelocationshiftmovementeviction

Antonyms

placementpositioninginstallation

Commonly confused

dislocation
EN: 'Dislocation' often refers to a joint injury or structural misalignment; 'displacement' is broader, covering any forced movement from a position.
replacement
EN: 'Replacement' means putting something new in place of the old; 'displacement' means moving something from its original position without necessarily substituting it.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember it is formed from 'displace' + '-ment'; do not drop the 'e' before the suffix.

💬 Examples

  1. The earthquake caused the displacement of thousands of residents from their homes.

  2. The displacement of the particle was 5 meters to the east.

  3. The aircraft carrier has a displacement of over 100,000 tons.

  4. His anger at his boss was a classic case of displacement, as he actually resented his father.

  5. The displacement along the San Andreas Fault can reach several meters during a major earthquake.

  6. Zinc reacting with copper sulfate is an example of a single displacement reaction.

  7. The civil war resulted in the displacement of over two million people.