dislocation

noun

dis·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌdis-(ˌ)lō-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce dislocation (audio)
-lə-
Synonyms of dislocationnext
: the act of dislocating : the state of being dislocated: such as
a
: displacement of one or more bones at a joint : luxation
b
: a discontinuity in the otherwise normal lattice structure of a crystal
c
: disruption of an established order

Synonyms of dislocation

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of dislocation in a Sentence

the slightest dislocation in her daily routine bothered the elderly woman
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Maddie and Avery moved back from New York to help out as their mother tried to keep Little Flower going while dealing with dislocation and a nightmarish battle with her insurance company. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 The record’s themes of escape and dislocation also shaped Chatten’s writing, with time spent amid the faded grandeur of Venice, Vienna and Sicily. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Aug. 2026 But Bridgewater’s career was derailed, as a starter at least, when a horrific knee injury led to a left knee dislocation and a torn ACL during a practice just before the start of the 2016 season. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Its physical, psychological, and temporal dislocations often precede the possibility of narration itself. — Alessia Glaviano, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dislocation

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dislocation was in the 14th century

Rhymes for dislocation

See All Rhymes for dislocation

Browse Nearby Words

dislocatedness
dislocation
dislocator
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dislocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dislocation. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

dislocation

noun
dis·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌdis-(ˌ)lō-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce dislocation (audio)
: the act of dislocating : the state of being dislocated
especially : displacement of one or more bones at a joint

Medical Definition

dislocation

noun
dis·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌdis-(ˌ)lō-ˈkā-shən, -lə- How to pronounce dislocation (audio)
: displacement of one or more bones at a joint : luxation

More from Merriam-Webster on dislocation

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dislocation

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All