diversity
Americannoun
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the state or fact of being diverse; difference; unlikeness.
diversity of opinion.
- Antonyms:
- similarity, sameness, resemblance
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variety; multiformity.
- Synonyms:
- multiplicity, heterogeneity, assortment, variation, dissimilarity, disagreement, contrast
- Antonyms:
- homogeneity
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the spectrum of individual differences and the corresponding group memberships and identities that human beings have in society.
A functioning multicultural society celebrates the diversity of its people, but diversity can also be problematic for the maintenance of a cohesive national identity.
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the inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation, etc..
an initiative to increase diversity in the workplace.
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a point of difference.
noun
-
the state or quality of being different or varied
-
a point of difference
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logic the relation that holds between two entities when and only when they are not identical; the property of being numerically distinct
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of diversity
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English diversite, from Anglo-French, from Latin dīversitās; see diverse, -ity
Explanation
When there's diversity, there's variety. Often, this word is used for diversity of race, class, or gender. To have diversity, you need a mix of whatever you're talking about. If you like science fiction, romantic comedies, cartoons, and action movies, then you like a diversity of types of films. If you like nothing but kung fu films, then you don't like a diversity of films. No matter what kind of diversity you're talking about, there needs to be a real mix, kind of like a huge box of Crayolas.
Vocabulary lists containing diversity
New Kid
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Genetics - Inheritance and Variation of Traits
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The United States
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ms. Kiros, who has a law degree and is a doctoral candidate, says she was born in Ethiopia “just weeks before her father was selected by the United States’ Diversity Visa Lottery.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit arguing that the facility threatened the sensitive Everglades wetlands and was hastily built without the legally required environmental impact studies.
From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026
The salon has been nominated for a National Diversity Award and, Caroline says, hairdressers are "thinking more about how to make their salons more neurodiverse friendly".
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026
Diversity was not smuggled into this agency by ideologues.
From Slate • May 14, 2026
By doing so, they created a program called “Celebrating Diversity Through the Arts” geared toward teaching tolerance to kids who have been marginalized by society and don’t feel like they fit in.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
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.
