deployment

noun

de·​ploy·​ment di-ˈplȯi-mənt 

plural deployments

: the act or movement of deploying or the state of being deployed: such as

a

: placement or arrangement (as of military personnel or equipment) in position for a particular use or purpose

deployment of troops

deployment of a sales force

U.S. military assistance for hurricane relief efforts has delayed the deployment of additional forces to Afghanistan, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

—Reuters

… memories of the peace protests that in the 1980s greeted the deployment of nuclear-armed cruise missiles on Greenham Common in Berkshire.

—Tim Luckhurst

also : an instance of such placement (as in a battle zone) for a period of time

On breaks from his job as a guard at the prison Camp Bucca, Iraq … during his last deployment, in 2007, James would retreat to the camp's sand-swept outdoor court and try to perfect his shot.

—Kelli Anderson

b

: an instance of use that involves something opening and spreading out

a pilot's deployment of a parachute after ejecting from the cockpit

These components work together to fully deploy the air bag within 50 milliseconds of impact. After deployment, the air bag will deflate in approximately 100 milliseconds.

—Martin W. Stockel et al.

Examples of deployment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This shift is largely attributed to the deployment of new technologies that are enabling authorities to detect migrant groups much more quickly compared with previous years. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025

At present, the company has three safety bodies: an internal safety advisory group, a safety and security committee, which is part of the board, and the deployment safety board, which has members from both OpenAI and Microsoft, and approves the deployment of models above a certain capability level. —Tharin Pillay, TIME, 8 Jan. 2025

Smart systems, built for the edge, can streamline and simplify support, maintenance and security, making edge deployments more feasible at any scale. —Stephen Davidson, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

Nvidia is looking to speed the deployment of advanced AI systems around the world — much of which depend on its industry-leading chips. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French déploiement, from déployer "to unfurl, spread out, deploy" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deployment

• counter-deployment