diaspora

noun

di·as·po·ra | \ dī-ˈa-sp(ə-)rə

, dē-\

Definition of diaspora

1 capitalized, Judaism

a : the Jews living outside Palestine or modern Israel members of the Diaspora

b : the settling of scattered colonies of Jews outside ancient Palestine after the Babylonian exile

c : the area outside ancient Palestine settled by Jews

2a : people settled far from their ancestral homelands members of the African diaspora

b : the place where these people live

c : the movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland the black diaspora to northern cities

Other Words from diaspora The Beginnings of the Word Diaspora More Example Sentences Learn More about diaspora

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The Beginnings of the Word Diaspora

Until recently diaspora was thought to be a fairly new word in English to describe a very old thing (its first, and principal, meaning relates to the settling of the Jewish people outside of Palestine after the Babylonian exile thousands of years ago). However, recent research has found that the word is quite a bit older than previously thought. It can be found as far back as 1594, in a translation of Lambert Daneau’s A Fruitfull Commentarie vpon the Twelue Small Prophets: “This scattering abrode of the Iewes, as it were an heauenly sowing, fell out after their returne from the captiuitie of Babylon … they are called Diaspora, that is, a scattering or sowing abrode.” Diaspora is descended from the Greek word diaspeirein, meaning “to scatter, spread about.”

Examples of diaspora in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Scores of civil-society organizations have joined the protests, backed by Sudanese diaspora communities across the U.S. and Europe. — Nicholas Bariyo, WSJ, "Sudan’s Deadly Protests Pressure President’s Three-Decade Rule," 28 Dec. 2018 Almost three decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, many members of the Russian diaspora—especially those who came of age during the post-Soviet era—are turning a curious and longing eye to the lost flavors of their food heritage. — Leah Koenig, WSJ, "‘Savage Feast’ Review: Self-Discovery at the Family Table," 12 Apr. 2019 The bittersweet gathering of the Coffey Park diaspora also had a more practical purpose: to bring together community members who, before the fire, hardly knew one another. — Scott Wilson, Washington Post, "Devastated by wildfire, a California city weighs rebuilding amid a housing crunch," 14 Jan. 2018 Continental Roots The story of Morocco’s successful qualification is perhaps the best modern illustration of how nations have turned to a global diaspora to achieve success in soccer. — Tariq Panja, New York Times, "In Morocco, an Imported Team for the World Cup," 5 June 2018 Venezuela's growing diaspora is also increasing pressure from abroad. — Jim Wyss, miamiherald, "What you need to know about Venezuela's presidential election | Miami Herald," 20 May 2018 The diaspora of ex-Noma chefs stretches halfway across the world, and in Copenhagen there is an entire tier of restaurants, pubs, noodle shops and taquerias run by Noma alumni. — Jonathan Gold, latimes.com, "The world's most influential restaurant reinvents itself. Jonathan Gold tastes the changes," 2 Mar. 2018 The entire population is now packed into an area less than a square mile, and a population that once numbered around 400 is now down to 100, as the climate issues have led to a diaspora to higher ground. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "An American Village Is Being Abandoned Because of Rising Seas," 17 Mar. 2016 The costumes collectively reflect the voice of the African diaspora and how African Americans feel about their heritage. — Candice Frederick, Harper's BAZAAR, "Black Panther's Ruth E. Carter on Designing for the Revolution," 18 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diaspora.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.