Phrase guide

displacement activity

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Aimless, often self-comforting behavior displayed when in doubt, blocked or frustrated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Something done needlessly when procrastinating.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: more broadly

Examples

  • At last week’s meeting of Infantino’s expanded Fifa Council – the world’s best attended displacement activity – there was instead much discussion of the proposal to bulk up football’s flagship tournament to 40 or 48 teams.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

First mentions in 1940 by two Dutch researchers Nikolaas Tinbergen and Adriaan Kortlandt

Across languages

Translations

1 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Hungarian: pótcselekvés — aimless behaviour; something done needlessly