Displace: meaning, definitions and examples

Use when talking about forcefully making someone or something leave their usual place, often due to conflict or disaster.

• The war has displaced thousands of people
• The construction of the dam will displace many small villages

Use when talking about changing the position or location of something or someone, in the most general sense.

• I need to move this table to the other room
• She moved to a new house last month

Use when referring to moving to a new place to live or work, often implying a long-term or permanent change.

• The company decided to relocate its headquarters to another city
• They had to relocate due to the job transfer

Use when talking about a slight or gradual change in position, direction, or state.

• The wind caused the boat to shift slightly
• She shifted her weight from one foot to the other

Used when referring to people or objects that are moved from their usual position or location, often due to external forces such as natural disasters, conflicts or development projects.

• The flood displaced thousands of residents from their homes
• The construction of the new dam is likely to displace many local communities

Primarily used in legal or formal contexts to describe the act of forcefully removing someone from a property, usually due to nonpayment of rent or violation of rental agreements. It carries a negative connotation.

• The landlord decided to evict the tenants for not paying their rent
• After months of warnings, the family was eventually evicted from the apartment

Used metaphorically to describe the process of moving someone from their familiar or traditional environment, often causing significant emotional or social disruption.

• The war has uprooted many families from their ancestral homes
• Moving to a new country uprooted her, making it difficult to adjust

Used in formal or institutional settings to describe the act of officially ejecting someone from a place, organization, or country. It can imply a form of punishment. It carries a negative connotation.

• The student was expelled from school for cheating on the exam
• The government decided to expel the foreign diplomat for espionage