dislocate

verb

dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt 

-lə-;

(ˌ)dis-ˈlō- 

dislocated; dislocating; dislocates

transitive verb

1

: to put out of place

specifically : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone

2

: to force a change in the usual status, relationship, or order of : disrupt

Synonyms of dislocate

• relocate
• move
• remove
• transfer
• shift
• disturb

Examples of dislocate in a Sentence

She fell and dislocated her shoulder.

The new hotel will dislocate several businesses.

Thousands of workers have been dislocated by the latest economic crisis.

Recent Examples on the Web

The standoff beneath the bridge, where whole neighborhoods were dislocated by construction and residents had long been promised a park, quickly attracted national attention. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026

But the Chiefs, who haven’t run a quarterback sneak since Patrick Mahomes dislocated his kneecap against Denver in 2019, might have picked up a short-yardage specialist Thursday night in the first round of the NFL Draft. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026

Peanut, believed to be a shepherd-husky mix, had suffered a significant traumatic injury that left him without most of his nose and his jaw dislocated. —Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026

Did the impact dislocate something? —María Ospina, The Dial, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin dislocatus, past participle of dislocare, from Latin dis- + locare to locate

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

dislocate

verb

dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt 

(ˈ)dis-ˈlō-

1

: to put out of place

especially : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone

2

: disrupt

Medical Definition

dislocate

transitive verb

dis·​lo·​cate ˈdis-lō-ˌkāt  -lə-; (ˈ)dis-ˈlō-ˌkāt 

dislocated; dislocating

: to put (a body part) out of order by displacing a bone from its normal connections with another bone

he dislocated his shoulder

also : to displace (a bone) from normal connections with another bone

the humerus was dislocated in the fall