I. -mənt noun
1.
a. : the act or process of displacing or the state of being displaced
sideward displacement of the foundation of a house by earth pressure
the final displacement of an ancient and unjust law
the uneven displacement of population and consequent disorganization of tribal village life — Tom Marvel
: deposition
the ultimate displacement of the autocratic ruler
: dislocation
the displacement of a knee joint
b. : percolation 1d
2. : the quantity in which or the degree to which something is displaced: as
a. : the volume or weight of a fluid (as water) displaced by a floating body (as a ship) of equal weight
b. : the difference between the initial position of a geologic body and its later position along a geologic fault
c. : the distance from a neutral or equilibrium point to any specified point of a path in vibratory motion
d. : piston displacement
3.
a. : the electric intensity in a dielectric medium under electric influence multiplied by the dielectric constant of the medium
b. : the product of this multiplication divided by 4π
4. : a vector drawn from an initial position of a material particle to any subsequent position
5.
a. : redirection of an emotion or impulse from its original object (as an idea or person) to something that is more acceptable
b. : sublimation 1b
II. noun
or displacement activity or displacement behavior
: the substitution of another form of behavior for what is usual or expected especially when the usual response is nonadaptive