# displace

/dɪsˈpɫeɪs/ (US) · /dɪsplˈeɪs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/displace
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to force people to leave

verb · CEFR B2

to force people to leave their home or country, usually because of war or natural disasters.

For teachers: to compel people to leave their residence or homeland, typically due to conflict, persecution, or environmental catastrophe.

- Thousands of families were displaced by the flooding and had to stay in shelters.
- The civil war displaced millions of citizens, creating a humanitarian crisis that overwhelmed the infrastructure of neighbouring countries.

### 2. to take the place of

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic

to take the position or role of something that was there before.

For teachers: to supplant or supersede something, often because the new thing is more efficient or modern.

- Digital cameras quickly displaced film cameras in the early 2000s.
- Automation is expected to displace workers in the manufacturing sector, necessitating a nationwide focus on vocational retraining.

### 3. to move physically

verb · CEFR B2

to move something out of its usual or proper position.

For teachers: to shift something from its customary or natural place; to dislodge.

- The earthquake was strong enough to displace heavy furniture across the room.
- The surgeon had to be careful not to displace the surrounding tissue while repairing the damaged ligament.

### 4. to push water aside

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to move a specific amount of liquid out of the way when an object is put into it.

For teachers: to occupy the volume of a fluid that would otherwise fill a space, often used to measure the weight of ships.

- A large ship will displace thousands of tons of water.
- According to Archimedes' principle, any object floating in a fluid displaces a weight of fluid equal to its own weight.

Usage: The verb is transitive and usually takes a measurement of weight or volume as the object.

### 5. to redirect emotions

verb · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

to move your feelings from the real cause to something or someone else.

For teachers: to redirect an emotional impulse from its original target to a less threatening recipient.

- He was angry at his boss but displaced that anger onto his family.
- In psychoanalytic theory, a patient might displace their resentment toward a parent onto their therapist during a session.

## Examples

- He tends to displace his anger toward his boss onto his family.
- When employees feel powerless against management, they often displace their frustration by criticizing their colleagues over minor issues.
- The patient began to displace her deep-seated resentment for her father onto the therapist, a classic defensive maneuver intended to avoid the pain of direct confrontation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.