in mechanics, distance moved by a particle or body in a specific direction. In the figure-->, A is the initial position of a point, B is the final position, and the straight line directed from A to B is the displacement. The distance traveled by the point depends on the path that it follows; it will be equal to the magnitude of the displacement only if the path is straight. In mechanics, it is frequently necessary to distinguish between the distance that a point moves—or through which a force acts—and the displacement of the point or the force. Displacement is a vector quantity because it has both magnitude and direction.