Usually Diaspora. the scattering of the Jews from the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah following the dissolution of those kingdoms and Babylonian captivity.
Often Diaspora.
the body of Jews living in countries outside Israel.
such countries collectively.
Passover is celebrated for seven days in Israel, but for eight days by Jews living in the Diaspora.
Often Diaspora. any group that has been dispersed outside its traditional homeland, especially involuntarily, as Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
any group migration or flight from a country or region.
any religious group living as a minority among people of the prevailing religion.
the spread or dissemination of something originally confined to a local, homogeneous group, as a language or cultural institution.
the diaspora of English as a global language.
the dispersion of the Jews after the Babylonian and Roman conquests of Palestine
the Jewish communities outside Israel
the Jews living outside Israel
the extent of Jewish settlement outside Israel
(in the New Testament) the body of Christians living outside Palestine
(often not capital) a dispersion or spreading, as of people originally belonging to one nation or having a common culture
the descendants of Sub-Saharan African peoples living anywhere in the Western hemisphere
—“To the Diaspora”: A 1981 poem by African American poet Gwendolyn Brooks. — Diaspora: A 1997 science fiction novel by Australian author Greg Egan.
First recorded in 1690–1700; from Greek diasporá “scattering, dispersion”; see origin at dia-, spore
A diaspora is a large group of people with a similar heritage or homeland who have since moved out to places all over the world. The term diaspora comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "to scatter about." And that's exactly what the people of a diaspora do — they scatter from their homeland to places across the globe, spreading their culture as they go. The Bible refers to the Diaspora of Jews exiled from Israel by the Babylonians. But the word is now also used more generally to describe any large migration of refugees, language, or culture.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The task force is a group of organisations representing the seven largest Jewish diaspora communities.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Faced with such roadblocks, some of the Cuban diaspora have given up on the idea of ever reclaiming properties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
For decades, the Mexican government has tried building bridges, a soft-power initiative known as acercamiento — or coming together — with its rising global diaspora.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
Despite the negative rhetoric about their ties from some quarters, New Zealand's Luxon has been promoting a welcoming image for Modi's visit to a country that is home to an Indian diaspora of about 300,000.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Just as Lawrence had warned Sproul that the cyclotron diaspora was bound to end Berkeley’s monopoly on cheap grad-student labor, it was now ending Berkeleys monopoly on cyclotron technology.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
More than 1,000 African-Americans have done so in the past decade, according to Dr Erieka Bennet, ambassador for the Diaspora African Forum, which helps people relocate to Ghana.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
Control over their access to Gaza rests with the Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism, a little-known department initially designed to strengthen ties with, and protections for, Jews abroad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
"Organisations that have failed to meet required security and transparency standards will have their licenses suspended," the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said in a statement on Thursday.
From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 2026
The 40-year-old father of three eventually returned and now heads Diaspora, an NGO which educates potential migrants.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2025
They spent many hours talking together about the changing world and the dawning of independence and liberation movements across the African Diaspora.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
In the 19th and 20th centuries, it helped the city become a bustling metropolis, home to sizable European diasporas and a distinct cosmopolitan culture.
From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026
Gambling has long been a fixture in Black diasporas in America, cherished and bemoaned in equal parts, going back to the 18th century.
From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2026
It was these diasporas that would offer a foothold to the game in America.
From BBC ● May 29, 2024
Money brokers are part of large Chinese diasporas in places like Europe, the United States and Latin America.
From Reuters ● Apr. 6, 2023
“These are small countries and they’re large diasporas, so you’re going to have a big effect,” Bahar said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
