diversion

American  

[dih-vur-zhuhn, -shuhn, dahy-] / dɪˈvɜr ʒən, -ʃən, daɪ- /

noun

• diversions
  plural

1. the act of diverting or turning aside, as from a course or purpose.

   a diversion of industry into the war effort.

2. a channel made to divert the flow of water from one course to another or to direct the flow of water draining from a piece of ground.

3. British. a detour on a highway or road.

4. distraction from business, care, etc.; recreation; amusement; a pastime.

   Movies are his favorite diversion.

5. Military. a feint intended to draw off attention from the point of main attack.

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diversion British  

/ daɪˈvɜːʃən /

noun

1. the act of diverting from a specified course

2. an official detour used by traffic when a main route is closed

3. something that distracts from business, etc; amusement

4. military a feint attack designed to draw an enemy away from the main attack

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prediversion
  noun
• diversional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• diversions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of diversion

1590–1600; < Medieval Latin dīversiōn- (stem of dīversiō ), equivalent to Latin dīvers ( us ) diverse + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

A diversion can be something that takes you off the course you are on, like a detour while you are traveling, or a game of tennis that takes you away from the stress of work. The noun diversion and the verb divert are related. Both have to do with a change of focus or direction. When you want a break from something, many diversions are welcome, like a rousing game of “twenty questions” on a long car ride. Conversely, some diversions are unwelcome, like when the guy next to you is texting during your French midterm.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

diversion diversions

Jackson, who is in his sixth season with the Rams and fourth as quarterback Matthew Stafford’s blindside protector, entered a diversion program that required him to complete probation and anger management classes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Reitano focused on mental health diversion and treatment, aiming to support rehabilitation when possible.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

In one email, he all but admitted the scholarships to young women were a diversion.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

She added many of the diversion routes are unsuitable for large vehicles and volumes of traffic.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Soon, fencing became my number one diversion, so I did it as much as possible.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Experiencing hours-long delays and diversions out of Aspen’s airport is as much a part of the local experience as spotting bears during hikes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

“When surface water diversions are curtailed, the effect on streamflow is immediate. That is not the case with groundwater pumping. It could be weeks, months or years before groundwater pumping impacts a stream.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

But if you’re looking for joy online, we have diversions to help make this day fulfilling.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

The result is that unplanned diversions often happen late in flight, which is likely to mean burning more fuel.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

I accepted that danger was an essential component of the game—without it, climbing would be little different from a hundred other trifling diversions.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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Related Words

• amusement
• distraction
• fun
• pastime
• pleasure

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