diva

noun

di·​va ˈdē-və How to pronounce diva (audio)
plural divas or dive ˈdē-(ˌ)vā How to pronounce diva (audio)
1
b
: prima donna sense 2
… if a team asks me to play somewhere else, I'm not going to be a diva about it.Ettore Lattanzio
2
: a usually glamorous and successful female performer or personality (see personality sense 4b)
a fashion diva
especially : a popular female singer
pop divas
The original diva and Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin, appears to have brought US President Barack Obama to tears (and then to his feet) with a stellar performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural WomanTom Williams

Examples of diva in a Sentence

the reigning diva of daytime television
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a hilarious TikTok, Tisdale reveals her daughter can't stop singing the songs from the films and is especially obsessed with her mom's role, a fabulous and determined musical theatre diva named Sharpay Evans. Annabelle Canela, Parents, 15 May 2025 Barbra Streisand fans woke up to wonderful news Wednesday morning (April 29): The diva of all divas is releasing a new studio album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, on her longtime label Columbia Records on June 27. Paul Grein, Billboard, 30 Apr. 2025 Their take skews more toward her performance with stirring strings by the London Symphony Orchestra (nothing less than the finest for this diva). Justin Curto, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025 Scarred by infighting, the insecure NBC show eventually became a hate-watch for many and had all kinds of stereotypes, from diva catfights to sleazy directors to avaricious personal assistants. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for diva

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, goddess, from Latin, feminine of divus divine, god — more at deity

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of diva was in 1883

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Cite this Entry

“Diva.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diva. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

diva

noun
di·​va ˈdē-və How to pronounce diva (audio)
plural divas or dive -ˌvā How to pronounce diva (audio)
1
2
: a usually glamorous and successful female performer or celebrity
a fashion diva
especially : a popular female singer
pop divas
Etymology

from Italian diva "goddess," from Latin diva (same meaning)

More from Merriam-Webster on diva

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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