displace
/dɪsˈpleɪs/- 1.
To force someone or something to leave their usual place or home. This often happens because of war, natural disaster, or major social change.
- The earthquake displaced over a million people from their homes.
- Rising sea levels could displace entire coastal communities.
- The conflict has displaced thousands of families in the region.
- 2.
To take the role or position that someone or something held before, making them no longer needed or used. Common when discussing technology, jobs, or power.
- Automation is beginning to displace factory workers worldwide.
- Streaming services have displaced traditional television for many viewers.
- The new software quickly displaced the older system.
- 3.
In science, to push a liquid aside by taking up its space. Used in physics and engineering.
- A large ship displaces a huge volume of water.
- The rock displaces water equal to its own volume.
Adinary Nuance
Displace sits close to replace, supplant, and uproot, but each carries a different emotional weight. Replace is neutral — it simply means one thing takes another's spot, with no sense of harm. Displace adds pressure: the original person or thing was pushed out, often unwillingly, and the loss is felt. Supplant (formal, literary) implies a deliberate, scheming takeover, while uproot is reserved for people torn from their home or community on a personal level. In IELTS and academic writing, displace is the preferred word when you want to highlight the human or economic cost of change — it signals analytical depth that examiners notice.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- Di dời
- Spanish
- Desplazar
- Chinese
- 取代
- Japanese
- 取って代わる
- Korean
- 대체하다
Etymology
From Old French 'desplacer' (des- meaning away + placer meaning to place), entering English in the late 16th century. The humanitarian sense — forcing people from their homes — became widely used in the 20th century through war and migration reporting.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between 'displace' and 'replace'?
- 'Replace' is neutral — something new simply takes an old position. 'Displace' carries the idea of being pushed out, often unwillingly. You 'replace' a broken lamp, but automation 'displaces' workers from their jobs.
- Is 'displace' a formal word?
- Yes, it is fairly formal and is common in academic writing, news reports, and IELTS essays. In everyday speech, people more often say 'push out' or 'take over', but 'displace' signals precision.
- How do I use 'displace' correctly in an IELTS essay?
- Use it when discussing the effects of technology, climate change, or conflict. For example: 'Automation has displaced many low-skilled workers in the manufacturing sector.' It works well in both cause-effect and argument essays.
- What does 'internally displaced' mean?
- 'Internally displaced' describes people forced to flee their homes but who remain inside their own country. It is a key term in humanitarian reports and UN documents, and often appears in IELTS reading passages.