Resettlement

How to spell resettlement

12 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce resettlement

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does resettlement mean?

1. nounThe process of moving people, especially refugees or displaced communities, to a new place to live permanently.

Resettlement in a sentence

• The charity coordinates the resettlement of refugees in three regional cities.

• Government funding supports the resettlement of families displaced by the flood.

Where does resettlement come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

The core of this word is the Old English verb setlan, meaning 'to place' or 'to seat', which itself grew from setl, a word for a seat or dwelling place. By the time of Middle English the verb 'settle' had broadened to mean coming to rest, taking up permanent residence, or bringing a matter to a stable conclusion. The Latin-derived prefix re-, meaning 'again' or 'back', was attached to give 'resettle', the act of settling once more in a new place, and the French-style suffix -ment then turned that verb into a noun naming the action or its result. The full form 'resettlement' became common from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and it took on its modern weight in the twentieth century when governments and aid agencies organised the relocation of refugees and displaced populations. The spelling is mostly transparent, though the doubled t in 'settle' and the single l before -ment quietly catch people out.

How the word is built

• re- (again)
• settle (to establish, from Old English setlan: to place, seat)
• -ment (noun-forming suffix denoting an action or its result)