displaced

Displaced is an adjective that describes something or someone moved from a usual or original position. It can refer to physical objects relocated by force or design, as well as people whose homes or communities have been disrupted. In humanitarian and international contexts, displaced people may remain within their country as internally displaced persons (IDPs) or cross an international border to seek asylum as refugees. Displacement can result from armed conflict, persecution, natural disasters, or development projects. IDPs and refugees face urgent needs for shelter, water, food, protection, and access to services. Legal protections differ: refugees are covered by international refugee law and asylum systems; IDPs are primarily protected by national law and the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, with international guidance and aid.

In physics, displacement is a vector quantity that measures the straight-line distance and direction from an object's initial position to its final position, regardless of the path traveled. It is denoted by Δr, its magnitude equals the distance between the points, and its direction points from start to finish. The displacement is independent of the path taken and contrasts with total distance traveled.

Other uses: The term is also used in everyday language to describe relocation or removal from a place, and in titles or descriptions in culture and media. Displaced has no single specialized meaning beyond these senses.