displacement
dis-PLAY-smuhnt
/dɪsˈpleɪsmənt/
The moving of something from its place or position; the enforced departure of people from their homes.
In a social context, it almost always implies a forced or tragic movement due to war, disaster, or policy.
The story behind the word. From the Old French 'desplacer', it combines 'dis-' (expressing reversal) and 'place'. It literally means to take something out of its rightful place.
Word relationships
- eviction: Eviction is usually legal/individual; displacement is often large-scale and political.
- reinstatement: The action of giving someone back a position or place they have lost.
Commonly confused with
- migration: Migration can be voluntary; displacement is typically involuntary.
Word family
- displace (verb): To force someone to leave their home.
Collocations
- forced displacement
- mass displacement
- internal displacement
Example sentences
- "The civil war led to the displacement of millions of families across the border." Political crisis.
- "The displacement of water by the ship's hull allows it to float." Scientific context.
Memory hook
Dis-place = To be 'Dissed' (removed) from your 'Place'. Pushed out.
When not to use
Avoid using for a voluntary move; 'relocation' is more neutral.
Fun facts
- In psychology, 'displacement' is a defense mechanism where you redirect an emotion from its original target to a safer one.
Explore more words
Also appears in
- Travel & Culture → Immigration & Relocation
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Environmental Justice & Equity
- Demographics & Urban Studies → Migration & Displacement
- Demographics & Urban Studies → Gentrification & Urban Renewal
- Demographics & Urban Studies → Rural-to-Urban Migration
- Demographics & Urban Studies → Segregation & Redlining
- Demographics & Urban Studies → Indigenous Populations
- Engineering & Industrial Design → Fluid Dynamics & Hydraulics
- Sociology & Social Anthropology → Tribal Communities & Integration
- Physical Sciences & Cosmology → Classical Mechanics & Motion
- Emergency Services & Public Safety → Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid
- Emergency Services & Public Safety → Emergency Shelters & Evacuation
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