displace

C1 · Advanced Academic

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

v. 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.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to move something out of its usual or proper position.

v. 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.”

C1 · Advanced Science Technical

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

v. 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.”

C1 · Advanced Psychology Academic · Technical

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

v. 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.”