What does relocation mean?
Relocation is the process of moving a person, organization, or business from one place to another. It can refer simply to the move itself, as when someone changes cities, or more specifically to an organized transfer, such as an employee moving to a branch office in another country. The word often carries a practical dimension: relocation may involve transport, housing, finding schools or services, and settling into a new community. In employment contexts, “relocation” commonly appears in phrases such as “relocation package,” referring to financial or practical support offered to someone who moves for a job. Relocation can also have a broader meaning, describing the displacement of people or the movement of operations, including involuntary displacement caused by conflict, redevelopment, or major infrastructure projects. Although the term can sound bureaucratic, it is useful when describing the organized or consequential nature of a move.
nounThe process or act of moving someone or something to a new place, often for a change of home, work, or location. Relocation can also refer to the move itself or the arrangement and assistance provided to someone moving.
- The act or process of moving someone or something to a new place.
- The transfer of an employee or organization to a different site, often as part of a career or business change.
"The company offers relocation assistance to employees who transfer to its London office."
"After several years in Edinburgh, they decided that a relocation to the countryside would suit them better."
"The relocation package covered her travel costs and helped her family settle in the new city."
The plural is used for separate moves or relocation processes.
"Several relocations are planned before the new facility opens."
Relocation turns a change of address into a process, from logistics and paperwork to the emotional experience of starting over somewhere new.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does relocation come from?
Relocation comes from Latin relocationem, a noun formed from relocare, meaning “to move back” or “to establish in a new place.” The prefix re- and the root locare, derived from locus, “place,” combine to express moving something to a different location. English borrowed the noun in the early 19th century, initially in the sense of the act of moving or changing residence. Related English words include relocate, location, and local, all connected with the Latin notion of place.
Related word forms
How relocation is actually used
Relocation is formal and commonly describes moving for work, housing, education, or organizational purposes. In business contexts, it often implies a planned move with practical support, especially when referring to employee relocation.
Easily confused with relocation
A location is a particular place or position, whereas relocation is the process or act of moving to a new place.