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diverse

adj.
US //daɪˈvɝs// UK //daɪvˈɜːs// di·verse
  1. 1 varied or different (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate General-service

    including many different types of things or people.

    composed of distinct or unlike elements or qualities.

    Example

    The city has a very diverse population with people from all over the world.

    Example

    The ecosystem supports a diverse range of flora and fauna, many of which are found nowhere else on the continent.

    Usage

    Often followed by the preposition 'range of'.
  2. 2 socially inclusive (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Academic

    including people from different backgrounds, such as different races, genders, or religions.

    composed of people from a variety of demographic backgrounds, particularly those representing minority groups.

    Example

    The company is trying to hire a more diverse workforce this year.

    Example

    The university's commitment to a diverse student body is reflected in its revised admissions policy and outreach programmes.

    Teacher's tip

    In modern business and academic contexts, this often specifically implies the inclusion of underrepresented groups.
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  1. 3 distinct or separate (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Formal

    different from each other.

    differing from one another; not the same.

    Example

    The two brothers had very diverse interests, one loving sports and the other art.

    Example

    Although they share a common ancestor, the two languages have evolved in diverse directions over the last millennium.
Etymology 1

PIE word *dwóh₁ The adjective is derived from Middle English divers, diverse (“different, divergent”), from Anglo-Norman divers, Anglo-Norman divers, and Old French divers (“different; of various kinds”) (modern French divers), and directly from their etymon Latin dīversus (“different, diverse”), an adjective use of the perfect passive participle of dīvertō (“to divert, turn away”), from dī- (variant of dis- (prefix meaning ‘apart, in two’)) + vertō (“to turn”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to rotate; to turn”)). Doublet of divert. The adverb is derived from Middle English diverse (“differently; at various times”), from divers, diverse (adjective) (see above).

Etymology 2

From Middle English diversen (“to differ, diverge; to become different, change; to vary; to change or vary (something); to make a distinction, distinguish; to divert”), from Anglo-Norman diverser, Middle French diverser, and Old French diverser (“to alter, change; to differ, diverge; to disagree”), from Late Latin diversare (“to differ”), and then either: * a frequentative form of Latin dīvertere, the present active infinitive of dīvertō (see etymology 1); or * from dī- (variant of dis- (prefix meaning ‘apart, in two’)) + versāre (the present active infinitive of versō (“to alter, change; to keep turning, whirl”), a frequentative form of vertō: see etymology 1). Etymology 2 sense 1 (“synonym of diversify”) became obsolete in the 16th century, and was probably recoined in the 20th century.

Word family

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